Perfect Moment Monday: Luck

Last Wednesday at the end of Sean’s Tae Kwon Do class he decided that he was ready to show one of his instructors (a.k.a.  masters) the he had learned and could do “Basic One” (a routine that includes 20 movements in a specific order) and recite the “High White Belt Student Creed” all by himself.

Each time Sean and his classmates want to test for the next belt level at Tae Kwon Do, they need to earn four black “skill” stripes and two colored “character” stripes on their belts. If he was successful, he would get two black stripes that day.

I was so excited for and proud of my son as I watched him demonstrate all 20 movements and transitions in the correct order, followed by saying the creed:

Tae Kwon Do students know who they are and where they are going. They understand themselves and their goals.

As Sean’s instructor was putting two black stripes on his “High White Belt,” that afternoon, she talked with him about what his goals had been (to learn the routine and memorize the creed) and how he had achieved them.

Then Sean proclaimed “today is my lucky day!”

I was very impressed to hear his instructor’s reply (which was exactly what I was thinking at that moment), “Sean, you did not get these stripes because you are lucky, you earned them because you worked hard.”

One of the many things that Bob and I want Sean to learn from his experience practicing Tae Kwon Do is self discipline and a stronger work ethic. So it was especially gratifying to witness this “teachable (perfect) moment” between Sean and his martial arts instructor.

Another of my favorite (as well as perfect) moments from this past week relates to how Abby is learning to express herself more verbally. One day last week when I got her up in the morning I realized that she had a “blow out” diaper. Everything she was wearing and most of the contents of her crib needed to be changed and cleaned up.

Lately Abby has taken to sleeping with a Curious George stuffed animal (that she calls “George”) in addition to a stuffed elephant (which Sean gave her the day she was born when he came to see for the first time at the hospital) that she has been cuddling up to at nap time and bedtime for awhile now.

Abby wasn’t very happy when she realized I was taking away Curious George. Her elephant somehow managed to escape the stains and smells. I explained to Abby that sometimes our stuffed animals can get dirty like we do and that I was just going to give George a bath (in the washing machine) and that I promised she would have him back before she went to bed that night.

After Abby woke up from her afternoon nap that day, during which she had slept with her elephant and a “substitute” for Curious George, a little teddy bear (she calls “bear”), I heard her on the monitor saying “George, bath,” over and over again. It was clear to me that when she woke up she was looking for her stuffed animal George and when she couldn’t find him, recalled that I told her I was going to give him a bath.

It was so sweet to hear that Abby remembered that and was thinking about it. It was also one of the first times I recall her putting two words together like that, at least that I was able to understand. So that was also fun and exciting to hear. Definitely another perfect moment for me to witness as her mother.

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Lori from Write Mind Open Heart says that “Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.” I love the idea of being mindful of and blogging about perfect moments. In the past I have often used my blog more to write about things I am struggling with and though I know that is valid and important for me at times, I appreciate the idea of being intentional about also sharing the simple and very special moments in our lives. Many thanks to Lori for this idea, a wonderful opportunity to focus on what is right in our life, instead of what is wrong. 

Click here to read about and comment on more Perfect Moments (there are links to others’ posts at the bottom of Lori’s blog entry) this Monday and/or add a link to one of your own.

I hope that you have a wonderful week and that you are aware of, as well as able to notice, many perfect moments in your own lives.