put it on hold

Alright, I get it. Really, I do. No matter what I do, I cannot make someone love something. It is impossible. I am only responsible for loving life myself, in hopes that it will entice others enough that they love life as well.

Tonight, Melvil had his first gymnastics practice. His strength far surpasses that of the other boys, but as this is his first time to take lessons, he lacks the proper form. However, he spent the evening a bit frustrated that he had to constantly wait for the others, and as we were leaving, my heart broke when he definitively announced that he would not be participating in gymnastics anymore. For the first time, my heart broke a little because someone else was hurting. I suddenly had this unexplainable pang overwhelming my soul, and I could not understand why I was at a loss for words. But, as most kids do, he bounced back once we sat down to enjoy Coconut chicken and rice for dinner tonight. Thai food is always a perfect remedy for a bad day.

So, as usual, I do have a thought floating around my head. One of my many favorite characteristics of this family is that their schedules outside the home truly do revolve around what is going on inside the home. For instance, the kids do not participate in activities that will keep them from being home for dinner with the family. Everyone reorganizes their daily schedules in order to be home when the family is home. I love watching them put everything else in the world on hold for time with each other. It is such a beautiful sight to see, a sight that I plan to sew into my worldview so that I can put it into practice in my own family.

Try it: put your world on hold for someone today. It's refreshing. I promise.