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I don’t know about you but the clock rules my life. When I wake up, the time I eat, the time I put the kids to sleep… many of my actions seem to be governed by time. To make matters worse almost every room in my home has at least one clock. Some rooms, like the kitchen, have three.

I’ve been contemplating this for a while now… why this obsession with time?

I love how children have no concept of time. They can play for hours and are governed by the rising and setting of the sun. They do their activities as long as they want. It is us, the adult, who imposes schedules and time frames on them.

The clock also serves as a source of stress. So many times I worry that we’re running late for an outing. I’ve even caught myself saying to my four-year-old, “Hurry or we’re going to be late.” It’s not her fault we’re running late. Why do I find the need to pass that stress onto her?

Another example of the stress that time imposes is when my baby wakes to feed in the middle of the night. I often obsess over the fact that she woke up to feed just one hour previously. Then throughout that feeding I dwell on how I can get the baby to sleep through the night. The night feedings are often a tense time. I get overwhelmed from being so sleep deprived and find myself frustrated as the night goes on. Usually after the fourth or fifth waking, I can’t get back to sleep because my mind has been so busy trying to come up with “solutions” to my baby’s sleep schedule.

However, the beauty of life is there’s always a lesson to be learned, we just have to be open to receiving it….

Last night my baby woke me with the need to feed. In my haste I forgot to put on my glasses. I was a little lost. I had no idea what time she woke me at so I didn’t know what time her feeding started and what time it ended.

This moment was liberating. As I sat there in her dimly lit room, I cradled my darling baby in my arms. The house was quiet and still. I listened to her little breaths… in and out, in and out. As she nursed I held one of her tiny hands in mine. She squeezed my fingers, opening and closing her fingers around mine in a rhythmic fashion. At one point she turned her body a little bit and held her hand in front of her face. She closed her fingers into a fist and then opened them up again. She watched intently as she repeated this action over and over again.

I watched. Amazed.

Then she looked at me. She saw I was watching her. She smiled, just a little, and then reached up and touched my face.

I wanted to cry. I realized that sometimes I get so caught up in the schedule of the day that I’m sure I’ve missed many moments like these.

She woke up one more time last night. Once again, I didn’t put on my glasses and I melted into the moment. It was a good night.

Sometimes it’s important to be aware of time; there are appointments, outings, and classes that require us to be prompt. But there are many hours in the day when time really shouldn’t be an issue. So, for the next little while, I’m ignoring the clock. I’ve put away the clock on my nightstand and I’m embracing the natural rhythm of enjoying the moments… big and small.



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Jennifer Bly
Jennifer Bly
Author of My Kitchen, My Classroom: An Introduction to Homeschool and creator of The Deliberate Mom. Jennifer writes about parenting, homeschooling, her faith, and life with her husband and two girls. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration Degree with a specialization in Early Learning in Child Care.



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