boy_running_on_grass-sarahwynne-flickr-cc

Most days I have the good fortune of getting to pick up my two-year old son from daycare. There are few more powerful moments, if any, than the joy you feel when your child runs into your arms having waited for your return all day.

Our ride home is a short one. Only about 5 minutes at the most. On the ride home my son always asks if Mommy and “Beel” (his sister Bailey) are home. Usually we don’t know until we turn the corner and can see the driveway. Next, I unbuckle him from his car seat and let him go. What he does next always tickles me because it is so innocent and because it is something that never occurs to me.

My son climbs out of his car seat and takes a wide turn around the back of the car eventually ending up at the front door. I on the other hand. Being the sensible adult. Take the shortest path to the front door. Why wouldn’t I?

Then again, why are we always looking for the shortest path? Most of us have our daily routines down the minute. How long it takes to shower, get dressed, drive to work, etc. We usually attempt to complete most of these tasks as fast as we can, leaving no time for variance.

Why do we do this? From what I’ve gathered in my 43 years, taking the shortest or quickest path does not make either of these experiences more enjoyable. If anything, it allows us time to “tack on” one more thing that we previously did not have time for.

Hmmm.

What if we stopped trying to have as many mediocre moments as possible and started working on having a few more awesome moments?

I think it is worth a try.

I think we all need to learn from our kids and start taking a few more wide turns. Taking wide turns might cause us not to be able to check off everything on our to do list, but I’m pretty sure it will help us add to our fun pile. And, really isn’t that more important?

So go ahead. Take a wide turn today. My guess is you will be glad you did.

File Photo by .sarahwynne. – CC license

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply