Truly Listening

There are times that I am left in complete awe of the words my children share with me when I am truly listening. Their willingness to be so transparent is remarkable and the way they speak with such conviction most often stops me in my tracks. Trent will soon be 17, so I suppose I have grown to expect it from him at his age. Jack, my youngest, not so much. Although, I have to say that when I stopped and truly listened I learned more than I ever imagined.

This past weekend I learned he has quite an outlook on life for a 13-year-old boy. One that gave me pause. One that spoke directly to my heart. When I was his age I simply kept most of my thoughts to myself or stored them up for conversations with my friends, but not him… or at least not this past weekend. His words were for me. #GratefulMomMoment

We were packed and ready to head to camp. A place that has become our summer sanctuary… a place of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. We listened to a variety of music on the way up and then once we arrived we nestled into our spots in the warm sun. For many reasons, including the music, the warm breeze, and the peace surrounding us, we were reminded of my late mother-in-law, most lovingly known as Nana. We fell right into a conversation about

all the times

all the memories

the laughter

the love

We were truly listening to one another… in tune with the same heart. Maybe it was the music that took us on our journey or maybe it was just our time to connect (Jack’s song pick was”Faithfully” by Journey). It didn’t matter, we were both embracing it as if we had never known such a bond and understanding. We were truly listening to one another. I asked him what he missed most about her and he quickly replied just having her here with us. I knew exactly what he meant and he seemed to trust that I was speaking his language. As our conversation came to a close, I said to Jack, “we thought we would have her for a lifetime, huh buddy?” To which he replied,

In a way we did, it was just hers.

I’m not sure why I always equated a large number to a lifetime, but Jack, at the young age of 13, seemed to get it completely. A lifetime… the duration of one’s life. Not a number, just a span of unknown time to us.

I looked at him a bit differently that day. I saw my husband differently, too. I went for as many walks as anyone wanted to and never once took out my computer. I plugged my phone in and walked away. I was truly listening. Such a gift! It was then, that I knew I create my own choices… “my lifetime”.

How will you live YOUR lifetime? #ProfoundWordsOfA13YearOld