I'm typing this on my way home for the last time in 2015. It's about 11:15 Eastern Time on Wednesday the 16th of December. I've been in Lafayette, LA the last two days and now I'm about 30,000 feet above Tallahassee, reflecting on the year. I reflect - that's what I do. I don't know why, but I find joy in looking back on things; and 2015 is no exception.
I've spent the last hour or so methodically going through the months one by one. I'm not going to bore you with a detailed report of the Chris Peterson 2015, but I do want to share three simple moments I had that really made an impact on me. Today’s post is about Moment #1 from early June. One the 24th and 31st I will share moments #2 and #3 (getting kicked in the gut in late February, and feeling overwhelmed by gratitude while flying to Orlando from Minneapolis in early September).
On the evening of Friday, June 5th, my wife was late coming home from work and I had the opportunity to hang out with our daughter – a little “Daddy time”. Some context … she had just turned two years old and I was traveling more than usual. She’d spent the last few weeks shunning Daddy with “Noooo, I want Mommy, not Daddy.” Yeah, not fun for Daddy.
Well, not that night. Even though I was in Delaware and New Jersey for most of that week and she was still acting distant to me, she jumped at the chance to have tea time with Daddy. This was one of those rare times when I was completely present. I know that sounds very new-age-hippy-like, but it's true. Everyone talks or writes about being fully engaged in the present moment, but I bet I've only been in that state less than five times in my life. Most of those instances had something external that forced me into the moment – my first official “over-the-fence” homerun, watching my wife walk toward me with her father at our wedding, our daughter’s birth, etc. Not tea time. How can one keep their mind from wandering during tea time? We weren’t even drinking tea!
Well, I did. My mind didn’t wander and it was probably 20 minutes until I realized how engaged I was. Then I became incredibly thankful for this moment. Then I cried a little (not enough for her to notice). This night was one of those very few times, and it was awesome. My daughter kept asking me "You want cake Daddy? Want more tea Daddy?" I thanked God for this moment about 20 times during that hour. Under my breath, I spoke the words “Thank you for this time. Thank you for this, God. Thank you.” I hope I have an hour like that again in my life - just one. It was that cool.
I’m looking forward to next week’s Personal Post on Christmas Eve. I’ll share a two day period in late February when I was kicked in the gut twice, and how my reaction will stick with me forever.
