What do you see?

We always talk about how important certain people are in our lives, our families and our friends, but how much time do you really give them?

A month ago I had my mum visit from the UK, she has been to Australia once before, and loved it, and so for the second time, four years apart, she came for three weeks during her birthday.

It was interesting, starting a new business and working for myself, my plan was that I would continue to work everyday and fit spending some time with my mum in around that. I had communicated this to my friends and the only thing I did not organise too much was face to face meetings during that time.

The moment my mum arrived at Sydney Airport and when I saw her the first morning in my apartment staring out of my window at the sunrising over the ocean while eating her breakfast, I had something in my body say:

“What are you doing?”

“ Your mum has taken time out of her life to come and spend three weeks with you, to fly almost 24 hours alone, and she has the biggest smile on her face.”

I don’t think i had fully taken thought into my initial decision, but this was mother and daughter time, something that is quite rare for us, as we both live on other sides of the world. Although we talk on the phone several times a week, this was face to face time.

Without any hesitation, I decided that, yes it would impact my business, but how much would it impact me personally if I did not take this time out to spend with her, and be 100% present with her?

We had the most wonderful time together and really reconnected, something I had felt we had lost a bit since I lost Mike. We laughed, she met so many of my friends, and my new partner, saw where I lived and got to see what my life was like now. I got to take her to an awards ceremony on her second day where I was a finalist for a Blackmores Women and Wellness award. This was wonderful, she got to see where my hard work on MyMuse has got me so far. And she even got a surprise party on her birthday with all my friends, and a helicopter ride over Sydney Harbour.

I leant to slow down again, to appreciate having home cooked food, and sit at my dining table and enjoy food together, something that was such a family tradition growing up, and what is better than mum’s home cooked food?!

We would go for daily walks, and she would stop and admire so much that I was taking for granted. The sun shining, the ocean, the beach, the greenery surrounding us and the flowers we would walk past that would be such a rarity for her to see other than in a greenhouse in England.

Having her here for three weeks, left a huge void when she did leave, I must admit I did spend a day crying in bed, as I really missed her and her company. But that is when it really hit me, taking this time out, these three weeks in my whole year to be fully present with my mum were something I will always have and cherish. Now every time I walk out of my apartment and down the street, I take in so many more smells and views than I have ever done before, I appreciate so much more.

We tend to live our lives as though they are infinite, that we can always do something tomorrow or next year, and understandably some things require saving money or making arrangements, but valuing these precious moments are so very vital. We don’t know what tomorrow brings, or what next year has in store for us.

What have you put off?

What reasoning have you given?

As I write this, I am listening to classical piano music playing, feeling so grateful for my beautiful apartment that holds so many memories, tears and laughter, glancing at my balcony with the rays of sunshine hitting the day bed and plants, sipping on a delicious coffee, so many senses being engaged, knowing that it is the small things in life that can give us such happiness and so many times, it is these things we completely overlook, trying to reach that mountain top as quickly as possible.

Call that family member or friend you have been saying you haven’t time to do. Arrange that trip you keep putting off. Or take the leap and follow your dreams you have been to scared to do before.

Take in the scenery and the experiences along the way. After all, when we reach that mountain top, yes, we look around us, but we also look down, at were we have come from.