I walked down a flight of stairs hurriedly after a somewhat difficult work day from my 2nd-floor office to the ground floor. I usually take the stairs instead of the lift as it helps me process my thoughts better, and to be honest, also to avoid small talk with people I meet who work in the same building.
I had no issue with them, but being an introvert and one who can leak out my awkwardness and unfiltered honesty when I unconciously deactivated my work mode, well, it can be a little uncomfortable. Anyway, I had started to care less over the years, but that’s another story altogether.
Anyway I was feeling a little heavier that day as I mindlessly relied on the automated movements of my legs going down the stairs while I thought about the work topics that had arisen.
My hand slipped into my left pocket, and I felt two unfamiliar items.
One was a wrapped candy, something like those you view in Candy Crush app.
Another was a twenty-cent coin.
I then recalled the night before, my 6-year-old daughter was going through her little cylindrical coin box, and took out some money. She gave me twenty cents from her stash, told me she wanted me to have some of her money since all her money came from us, her parents. She said I can use it when needed.
My 8-year-old son later on gave me a candy he had gotten from school, and he had a few of them and shared one with me.
As it was a weekday night after work, I had accepted both tokens from my kids and slipped them into my pocket. It was about 8 pm, and I was still dressed in my work clothes and had yet to shower, usually rushing to prepare the kids for the next school day and bedtime before I took care of myself. This was routine for both my husband and me.
So I had hung up my workpants and showered, and worn them back the next day without taking those two items out.
And that day, as I reached in and found both ‘gifts’ from my kids, my heart warmed and I was reminded that my work was not all there was and that I had other things in life to care for, my family and kids. More important, permanent things other than my work.
It helped me compartmentalize my thoughts, and I decided to problem-solve the work issues on the side while I thought about going home for the day to my loved ones. My shoulders felt a little lighter by the time I walked out of the office building.
Work needs attention, yes, but they did not overwhelm me as much that day.
That night I went home, loved on my kids before bedtime, and thanked them again for the little items they had given me the day before.
We all need small reminders throughout the day, week or seasons in our life, on what our priorities are, and what we hold most dear.
Little did they know, but my kids’ small acts of love that week helped their mother mentally and gave her a little boost of energy and love.
Rawr….how are you?