I spoke with many parents on Facebook who said they hugged their children a little tighter after learning of the death of 11-year-old Isabelle Tezsla.
This tragic story gives new meaning to a saying my mother often repeated, "Every day is a gift". I'm reflecting on all the time I wasted worrying and all the times I seemed too busy to sit down and play with the kids.
If we treated every day as if it were the last we shared with our family, what might we do differently?
I read an interesting article called, "Time: The Most Precious Gift."
Carolyn Warnemuende gives some examples of how you can make the most of every day moments with your children. You can start by letting the kids help you cook, and making dinner a special time for conversation.
Many of her ideas were things that I already try to implement in my family but Warnemuende made one point that really hit home.
She said it's important for parents and children to have quiet time so they can come to the family refreshed and ready to interact.
Frankly, that's something I never considered. We're often moving too quickly but perhaps a little quiet time before dinner will make the conversation and time together seem even better.
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