Last Sunday, my son Jake and I took his two boys for a walk. Nolan, his 5-year old decided to ride his bike. As we started out, Nolan was adamantly directing our course away from our desired route of the river which is just a few blocks from our house. As we continually redirected Nolan, he was getting more and more irritated with us. “I don’t want to go to the river, I don’t want to take the hills!”

You see, almost every street that heads down to the river is a steep hill. Really fun to ride down, but Nolan also knows that once down, he has to ride back up – not fun.

Jake and I guided Nolan to the route where the hill was more of an incline and he contentedly coasted his way down until….

He discovered where we were. He was ticked!

To appease him, we stopped at every bench along the river to rest. We started looking for and pointing out interesting bugs, birds, and rocks. We worked to take his mind off the climb and focus on the beauty and fun along the way.

The past several months have felt like a continual uphill climb with more work than I have time for and little dramas that suck the joy out of every day life. I tend to get caught up in these things and forget to focus on the beauty and little joys of everyday.

Then you see real tragedy strike. Homes and lives lost in the blink of an eye from the devastating storms and floods in Texas and Louisiana.

What the heck do I have to complain about?

My lessons this week:

• Instead of focusing on the little dramas that weigh you down, look for something beautiful each day.
• Take time to rest and do something that just makes you feel good.
• Make time for the people you love.

So what did I do?

• Took a day off and reorganized my bedroom.
• Went to see my daughter Olivia in an improv show and she was AMAZING!
• Helped my mother-in-law pick out paint samples for her bedroom.
• Spent time with my niece and her husband as they were passing through town.

None of these were grand events, but each created in me a sense of peace and joy. They took my attention off difficulties, drama, and sadness and provided simple and beautiful moments to savor.

So Nolan made it home last Sunday. Once he stopped focusing on the climb, he enjoyed the journey. He just needed a change in perspective. Sometimes we all do.