Every morning, my son hops on his scooter and zips down the road to his friend’s house, where they meet up to ride to school together. And every morning, I’ve started tagging along for those few hundred metres with our dog, Nanook. It’s become one of my favourite parts of the day.
The world is still dark, but the twinkling Christmas lights are starting to glow in windows. It’s peaceful, and for those few minutes, it’s just me, my son, and Nanook padding along. A tiny pocket of time before the day gets busy.
This morning, as we neared his friend’s house, I said, “Okay, love you, see you later!” like I always do.
But today, he stopped scooting, looked at me, and said, “Why are you saying that now?”
I said, “Because we’re nearly at your friend’s house.”
And he replied, “Yeah, but we’re not there yet.”
Oof. That stopped me in my tracks.
Because he’s absolutely right — I was already mentally there, 10 steps ahead, when we weren’t even here yet.
It hit me: kids are so good at living in the moment, and us adults… well, we often aren’t, are we? We’re juggling, planning, worrying, or rushing ahead to what’s next. Especially at this time of year when there’s so much to do.
My son reminded me this morning to slow down and be where I actually am, not where I’m headed.
So, wherever you are right now, whether you’re reading this with your coffee, at your desk, or standing in the chaos of your kitchen—take a second. Look around. Notice this moment—right now—before your mind rushes 10 steps ahead again. And yes, I know, pausing sounds suspiciously like adding another task to the list, right? But trust me, I’m right there with you in the chaos. If I can pause mid-scooter-drop-off, you can manage one moment of peace too. Or at least try. No judgment if you fail.
And if you’re scooting off somewhere soon, remember: you’re not there yet.