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"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated."
~Maya Angelou

Monday, March 22, 2010

Are you listening with your eyes?

"Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention." ~Jim Rohn


This weekend I read a very sweet book by Mitch Albom (author of Tuesdays with Morrie) called have a little faith. It chronicles his relationship with two very different men of faith; one a rabbi in suburban New Jersey and one a minister in the inner city of Detroit. As Mitch gets to know these two men, he also begins to understand what his faith means to him. As a mom there was one passage that popped right out at me. Though I like to believe that I am giving my children the time and attention that they need, the reality is that I am frequently distracted and find myself saying "just a minute". I realized that what my kids really want is for me to "listen with my eyes"

"A little girl came home from school with a drawing she'd made in class. She danced into the kitchen, where her mother was preparing dinner.
"Mom, guess what?' she squealed waving the drawing.
Her mother never looked up.
"What? she said, tending to the pots.
"Guess what?" the child repeated, waving the drawing.
"What? the mother said tending to the plates.
"Mom, you're not listening."
"Sweetie, yes I am"
"Mom," the child said, "you're not listening with your eyes."


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