28 Jun The Gift of One on One Time

This week I was afforded with an incredible opportunity – my husband had a free airline “companion pass” that he had to use or lose by July, so we decided that my second-born daughter and I would take a little Mommy & Daughter trip together! We chose Cincinnati, Ohio as our destination and launched out on Sunday morning for the airport together.

As a four-kid, homeschooling family, one on one time is a rare commodity around these parts. Usually, we do everything together and we love it that way! But it is also a real gift to get one on one time with one of my children.

We’ve done “dates” several times before for coffee, shopping, or sushi, but those were just a matter of a few hours. This was a three day, two night trip for just the two of us!

Focused Attention

It’s an amazing gift to give a person your undivided attention. And it is also just as amazing to receive theirs. In a world where a “beep” from a text notification can pull someone’s attention away in an instant, to remain fully present and focused on another person is rare.

I relished every moment with my sweet eight year old girl who “just wanted to be with me.” From our necessary pre-boarding trip to Starbucks to the entrance of our AirBnB –  “Mama, we get to stay here?! It’s amazing!!” I just enjoy Chesed’s presence.

She is fun-loving, witty, hilarious, and always very thankful which makes for an easy going travel companion. All my kids love a good adventure and Chesed enjoyed little things like helping me navigate when I was driving. We explored three major museums in the Cincinnati area together – The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, The Creation Museum, and The Ark Encounter.

We soaked in these experiences and discussed each place and encounter and as a result, we learned and grew together. One of the best parts of this trip is that I had no one else I had to focus on – I was able to hold my girl’s hand, give her lots of kisses and hugs, and have uninterrupted conversations.

The Gift of Being Known

Our second night in Cincinnati, we were beat from driving and walking through museums all day. After a sushi dinner (her favorite) we picked up some dessert and took it home to enjoy in our apartment. We snuggled on the couch and ate our ice cream, talking through all the things we had seen that day. Then I began to ask her a few questions about what is important to her right now in this season of her life. We talked about what’s hard and also what she most enjoys.

Then she asked me to tell her what is important to me in this season of my life. While she’s always been a thoughtful girl, it struck me in a deeper way this time.

She wants to know me. 

She wants to not only be known by me and loved by me, she wants to know me, too. I shared with her some of those matters that have been consuming my thoughts and prayers lately, embracing joyfully the vulnerability of the moment.

As we wrapped up our trip the next day and headed for the airport, I hugged her and let her know how much I had enjoyed our time together. “Me too, Mama! Thank you!,” she said with a big grin. I turned over the memory carefully in my mind, savoring her smile in my heart.

How about you? Can you plan a one on one date with one (or each) of your children at some point over the summer? Maybe even a little getaway? It doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. The simple gift of your undivided attention is enough. And the treasure of knowing and being known by our children is worth more than gold.