My clients often ask what they can do to prepare for parenthood. My favourite suggestion is to take time each day for a walk in the woods, or on the beach. It forces us to slow down, and appreciate life just a little bit more.
Once you have a newborn, time slows right down. You can sit and look at each other for hours, and wonder where the day went. You watch the baby scan the edges of your face, fascinated by the interplay of light and dark...
Once you have a toddler, you share the passions of childhood, the multitude of experiences in a single step, the joys of a pile of leaves or a puddle...
Then, as the children grow, parents can get lost in the day-to-day schedule, and discover that, somewhere along the way, those feelings of awe and passion have slipped through their fingers. But...
I've found a place where you can reconnect with people who have retained their passion for life - in many diverse disciplines and areas of study, exploration, business and research. Each speaker can spur a day's conversation, and make you feel recharged. So, check out the TED talks.
Watch it - don't go overboard - it's like finding a link to all the best people that Peter Gzowski ever interviewed on his Morningside show on the CBC!
As a starting point...check out Carl Honore (Feb. 28, 2007) talking about slowing down, and Sir Ken Robinson (June 27, 2006) talking about creativity. The talks are powerful and life-affirming...especially if you view a talk together, then head out for a walk on the beach with your partner. Just the right sort of preparation for parenthood! - Jacquie Munro, Vancouver Doula
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