When you stop and look around you begin to notice how beautiful our world truly is. It is so easy to be so focused on getting all the things on our mental ‘to do list‘ completed, that we forget to notice the beauty that surrounds us.
Last week I stopped and noticed my 9 year old daughter standing at the window in her pyjamas watching the sunset. She stood there for a long time with the glow of the sun in her hair, she was so peaceful and content with just watching the sun go down behind the large gum trees. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment. I watched her in awe, she was just so lovely standing there.
How did I get so lucky to be her mum?
This time of year is so magical, and yet it is so easy to get lost in rushing around shopping for gifts and stressing about running out of time to do all those things we ‘need‘ to get done before the holidays.
Sometimes we miss the magic because we are moving too fast.
Watching my daughter I felt inspired to just slow down, to breathe, and to notice the beauty that surrounds me.
There is truly so much beauty that surrounds us, sometimes we need to stop and see life the way a child does, and remind ourselves that being in the moment is a precious gift. This Christmas I hope that you can take the time to slow down enough to notice the beauty in your world, to look at the magic of Christmas though a child’s eyes, and I also wish for you to see the beauty within yourself.
Be kind to yourself, be gentle on your soul, speak to yourself with patience and gentle love, and above all embrace all that is amazing about you.
Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx
link up with #mg every Monday to Thursday
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53 comments
My oldest is nine and she blows my mind everyday- sometimes in a good way- sometimes eh
either way she is such an incredible human being and I feel fortunate to me her mama too
I know we truly can learn so much from them and we are lucky to have them. Thanks Kristin x
Beautiful picture and post! And so very true… it is always worth slowing down to appreciate what surrounds you. Its just a case of remembering to do so xx #mg
Very true, some days we need that reminder xx
Beautiful. Children teach us so much. Your daughter is really looking so peaceful and lovely. God bless her.
This feeling you describe is what I feel every time I see my M lighting up at the simplest of things. Life is so beautiful is only we stopped to witness and it doesn’t even take much
So true, it doesn’t take much, I think we just get lost in all of the ‘things’ we think we need to do.
Children do teach us so much but we can only learn when we slow down and pay attention. This is an important message we need to constantly remind ourselves. Thank you for sharing the photo of your daughter with us. She does look calm and in the moment while standing by the window.
oh thank you for your lovely comment xx
So true. slow down is something i need to hear now. I am embarking on a new business venture and and although it is exciting there is so much to do. This is just what I needed to hear. Thanks, Mackenzie. Kids teach us so much.
You’re welcome, I really enjoyed your post linked up too, thank you for being part of #mg
Their observation power make me wonder sometimes. They see grain details what we usually tend to miss in a run for Life. A nice serene picture.
That photo is angelic. So beautiful. Life is beautiful. It’s so important to stop and notice the little things. #mg
I couldn’t agree more Mac. I like to get all my rushing around out of the way before December so we can relax and have fun. Hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas. xx #mg
Oh lovely this is such a beautiful post – I look at my girls and cant believe how lucky I am to have them. #mg
This is a gorgeous post. You are absolutely right in your sentiment, especially at this time of year. I keep telling myself this and this post is a great reminder. Have a lovely, restful Christmas. Alison x #mg
That is a beautiful picture. No wonder you were captivated. Beautiful and thought provoking words too. We all need a reminder to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life especially at such a busy time of year when it’s so easy to get carried away and forget about the stuff that really matters.
Thanks for hosting #mg linky
Mac, M’WAH to you my lovely linky leader! #mg
I so love when parents talk of their kinder like you do. That is the way it should be…lovely all around! I hope she is feeling better. #mg
I learn from my grandson each week Mackenzie. Children teach us to enjoy the moment. Ethan and I have such fun exploring for lizards and ants in the garden or chasing birds in the park. A lovely photo of your daughter and a special moment for you..
Aw, that’s so sweet. It really does amaze me how fast the time flies and how my kids are often the ones that point out those little things that make me smile each day.
You are so right! Sometimes we do miss the magic because we are moving to fast! This is a great reminder! #MG
So beautiful, and I completely relate to this. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of my children and I am taken aback by how utterly beautiful they are and it hits me how lucky I am to be their mummy. Life is so fast paced, it’s important to take a moment to just enjoy the moment. #mg
What a beautiful post, it really is important to take the time to appreciate what is all around us. Our kids really do teach us so much when we pay attention x
#Mg
Mackenzie you are spot-on that living in the moment is a precious gift. So are our children. As the Roman poet Horace wrote, “Carpe diem!” latin for – seize the day. Your post is so inspiring that I decided to stop addressing Christmas cards and give my daughter a hug and bake cookies with her.
I know I’m so lucky with my lovely two but when you are rushing to get them ready for toddler group and you are striving for the perfect Christmas and it’s not happening aaaaargh #mg
Stopping by again from #SharingtheBlogLove Looks like change is underway
hello dear- popping back in from #stayclassymama
That’s a gorgeous photo. I agree that kids really do make you view things in a different way #sharingthebloglove
Terrific message! The other morning, I woke up so groggy from too little sleep and began my usual routine of forcing myself to race through the morning. Until I looked out the window. There was a sunrise so lovely that I had to stop everything and soak it in.
I can see how stumbling across your daughter in that moment would be so special. Thank you for sharing it! #mg
That is so beautiful. I often find Alice just staring out at something and just taking life in. Holly on the other hand is just a whirlwind. How two sisters can be so different. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
Sometimes our kids teach us a lesson which we normally forget running around in life. That is a lovely pic of your daughter and I agree its important to slow down in life and enjoy each and every moment. Glad to link up with you. 🙂
If your child is amazing give yourself a pat on the back The only way children learn is by seeing us.Being a parent is the toughest job and the biggest blessing.
A very Merry Christmas to you and your family. Love linking up with #mg.
It’s a lovely tbuein4eee often find him gazing off into the post. N is a gazer, less so nowadays, but I’ll quite often find him staring into the fields for no reason. #sharingthebloglove
Such a lovely piece. I often wonder the same – how lucky I am to be their mum. #mg
Never a truer word said. It’s so frantic at this time of year, and it’s actually THE time of year we should stop to reflect a bit more. Lovely thoughts. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas xx
How have the speech and language appointments been going? Are you seeing progress?
My 4 years old twins have been in speech therapy for almost 2 years. We ended up parting ways with our first therapist. She was spending more time on language and not enough on articulation which my husband and I felt was urgently needed.
Now the kids are in different speech therapy and they are thriving. I agree with you that speech and language is so critical. Parents must be proactive in getting their kids help to maximize their learning potential and minimize frustration, desperation and poor behavior.
A friend of mine whose child has some special needs sent me a speech and language learning system that worked beautifully for her son and for my kids as well. Are you familiar with Hanen?
If you would like to exchange ideas “offline,” please let me know…
(And in the meantime, don’t let those well meaning but irritating people who try to appease you by dismissing what you are dealing with get under your skin!)
#mg
How have the speech and language appointments been going? Are you seeing progress?
My 4 years old twins have been in speech therapy for almost 2 years. We ended up parting ways with our first therapist. She was spending more time on language and not enough on articulation which my husband and I felt was urgently needed.
Now the kids are in different speech therapy and they are thriving. I agree with you that speech and language is so critical. Parents must be proactive in getting their kids help to maximize their learning potential and minimize frustration, desperation and poor behavior.
A friend of mine whose child has some special needs sent me a speech and language learning system that worked beautifully for her son and for my kids as well. Are you familiar with Hanen?
If you would like to exchange ideas “offline,” please let me know…
(And in the meantime, don’t let those well meaning but irritating people who try to appease you by dismissing what you are dealing with get under your skin!)
#mg
I think this is true all year round, but never more so than this time of year. It’s so busy that it’s so easy to get caught up in everything, but I love those moments where I notice something small about my son and just think ‘how lucky am I?’ Christmas is such a great time for reflecting and taking time to appreciate our family. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
This is fantastic! I absolutely love this quote, “Sometimes we miss the magic because we are moving too fast.” Potential meme? : ) I completely agree with you and have been feeling the same this holiday. My son is now one year old and I am really starting to understand how fast time flies by, such a great reminder to slow down and breathe. Everyone needs to be reminded of this! Thanks so much for sharing with #StayClassyMama!
Oh how I wish I could slow down… I’m trying!!! Gah… #SharingtheBlogLove
Loved this. Very very true. First time I’ve visited and I will be back for more words of wisdom! #SharingtheBlogLove
Beautiful. I had a few moments like this over Christmas. I just watched in awe at the excitement in my little boys eyes as he laid out the mince pie and milk for Santa. And again in the morning as he ripped open present after present. I am trying to take time in each day to just watch him whenever I can. Just to take him in. Because he won’t stay this little forever. Time is precious. Lovely post. #sharingthebloglove
What a great post. I feel our children are our reminders to stop and take a second to really take in our space and appreciate all the little things that give them pause. And I love that you have a linky party too. My newest obsession =) #SharingTheBlogLove
Absolutely beautiful. I had a horrible and hard year last year and it has really made me stop and just look at the simple things and truly appreciate my gorgeous children. #SharingtheBlogLove
What a beautiful moment. Thanks for sharing, I am always looking for new linkys! #sharingthebloglove
What a lovely, deep, meaningful blog post! I love this, you have put it lovely into words #sharingthebloglove
thank you so much
What a lovely, mindful message! #eatsleepblogRT x
Amen. Sometimes we’re so busy going about our lives that we fail to notice the most important things in life.
I love how you took a mindful moment in a period of such busyness. We can really lose sight of what’s important in the festive season if we’re not careful Thanks for linking up to #thesatsesh
This is a really lovely reminder to appreciate the little things, whatever the season. Especially those small moments with our children when we wonder how we got so lucky to be responsible for these beautiful little beings! It’s hard to be in the moment all the time but it’s worth trying to make a point of it. #thesatsesh
Aw this is so lovely. It’s so important to take a step back and see the world through their eyes. #thesatsesh x
Hi Mackenzie, I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award to let you know I’m really loving your blog on my journey as a newbie blogger! No need to take action from it as I know you’re extremely busy. But I just wanted you to know how much I love your thought provoking posts! Kristie x
Read my acceptance post and learn how to accept your nomination at: https://www.mammaprada.com/home/2017/9/10/blogger-recognition-award
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