The Grace of Noticing and Returning to Kindness
I am beginning to realize that some of my earliest mindful moments were the quiet ones: staring up at the clouds, listening to the rain, feeling the stillness of the woods around me. I find great delight now in remembering and savoring them. From third through ninth grade, Girl Scout camp became my escape from the ordinary into something deeper and more spiritual. Creek walking, campfires, flag ceremonies, and time in the woods all brought me peace.
Our home, like many, held moments of discomfort and disappointment, so camp became a safe and sacred space for me, as did the woods behind our little home. At home, I would lie in a white birch tree at the top of the ridge and watch two rivers come together in the distance, with my dog Fluffy always nearby. Peace. Quiet. Magical moments of noticing all that surrounded me. Looking back, I can see that these were sanctuaries where I felt held by the presence of something greater than myself.
Our family life centered around our little church and all of the activities there. My favorite part was trying the different foods at church suppers and seeing my Dad happy as he cooked in the church kitchen. In those moments, I could forget about the unhappy man I sometimes experienced at home. I watched him with the Boy Scouts he led, joyful and engaged. My Mother was happy there as well, and that made all the difference to me.
Those early moments taught me something I did not yet have words for: noticing can be a form of grace. It can steady us, soften us, and remind us that even in difficult seasons, there are small places of peace waiting to be received.
These early experiences of peace and presence are part of what draws me to mindfulness today. Mindful Moments with Maude introduces children, parents, and caregivers to the simple practice of being in the moment and becoming aware of what we are experiencing. Today, families face so many challenges, including the not-so- pleasant things happening in the world around us. Mindfulness invites us to notice not only what surrounds us, but also where our minds are focused.
We are often caught up in chaos and frustration when things do not go our way, and learning to move through difficult emotions is part of the practice. The young ones near us witness how we handle stress and learn from us. When we pause and take breaths while we are angry, frustrated, or anxious, we teach our children that we, too, are learning to manage our emotions. Taking those breaths helps all of us slow down, something deeply needed in this busy world.
Finding even a little space and time each day for moments of connection—with ourselves, with one another, and with our children—can gently bring us back to the present moment. When anger or frustration rises, we can offer ourselves and the children in our care kindness and patience, remembering that we are all learning as we go. As we begin to understand how our minds work, we can slowly discover healthier ways of coping and being present as best we can. With curiosity and without judgment, we can notice what is happening inside us and around us with tenderness.
The more we practice this with ourselves and with our children, the more able we become to move through life’s challenges with compassion, steadiness, and grace. Perhaps this is the grace of noticing: learning to pause long enough to see the small gifts already around us—the quiet, the breath, the child beside us, the tenderness within ourselves. When we make space for these moments, even imperfectly, we begin to meet life with a softer heart. And in that softness, we offer our children something lasting: the gentle reminder that we can return, again and again, to kindness, connection, and the present moment.
One of my favorite mindfulness teachers, Dr. Jeff Brantley, Professor Emeritus at Duke Integrative Medicine, offered these phrases to remember during our human existence: “In this moment may I be kind to myself.” “In the midst of these circumstances may I be kind to myself.” As we strive to be our best selves, I have found these statements to be of great benefit to myself and to others. Today, I invite you to pause for just one mindful moment. Take a breath, notice what is around you, and offer yourself and the children in your life a little extra kindness. These small moments matter. They are where connection begins.
“Savor the Moments”
Dr. Pamm