Being Present as a
Par
Parent
ent
By Amy Christine Bush
What exactly do we mean by
great benefit. Are our thoughts tied
Life through various processes and
being present as a parent?
up in what we have to do after this
practices. In doing so, we cultivate
task is completed? Or maybe we’re
the ability to be present.
The focus here is to connect with
worrying about what went wrong
our foundation – one of simply being.
earlier, or about the game next
In this sense, we expand on the
We do things all day long. We clean,
week? Possibly we’re frustrated
common use of the term being
we shop, we cook, we clean some
about a disagreement with a loved
present by defining it as an art that
more (or maybe not), we eat, we
one. Maybe it’s grumpiness, or
is practiced until it becomes an
clothe the kids, we run them here
sadness, or anger we’re feeling.
integrated skill. Much more than
and there. We are largely do-ers.
simply being physically present for
Except that we’re not. The term
Truly, who are you being and how can
our children, we are focusing on the
for our species is human being, not
you be who you want to be?
ability to be fully present with our
doing.
children as we parent them. This
We all have a source of peace
allows us to be free from distractions
Of course we have to do things and
within, but it is easy to lose touch
such as stress, worry, and negative
here we bring awareness to the fact
or even forget that it exists. Yet,
feelings and to be full of the
that as we pay attention to who we
we can begin by strengthening
characteristics below.
are being as we parent we derive
the connection to our source of
Fall 2009
aspiremag.net
43
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