Don't miss the precious Time with your Children - it will never come again!

Today I would just like to tell you what a wonderful time I am having with Apra these days! I feel more than ever that having a child is something that gives you more than you could ever imagine.

A few weeks ago, there was a short period of time, I think a few days but maybe it was more, a week or even two, when I got very busy at work. I was busier than usual and it is no wonder that this sometimes happens with the many things we do at the same time: the website, our charity projects, our company and the retreats, the school children, our Ashram guests… There was just too much going on and without me realizing it, I did not spend much time with Apra.

I was anywhere still there, saw her throughout the day and had meals with her but I did not have extra time to play. One day I realized however that I was missing exactly this time with her, the walks up and down the road when I would tell her stories or when we would sit on the sofa and cuddle. I immediately decided to make a change.

I could have complained about the fact that there was so much to do and not enough time in the day to play with my daughter. But I didn't. Instead I put everything to the back and decided that the main priority was now the need to spend time with Apra.

I took a decision and decided that there was nothing more important than my daughter. In a day there are so many things to do and they are all important but not any more important than the time you spend with your children! Everything else will still be there tomorrow, that is the game of life which will go on but your child is only of this age now.

Since then I am again spending more time with her, as I was doing before and the more I did, the more I felt rewarded for it! Of course there is the immediate joy of the moment but then there is also the fact that she gives back so much! She asks for me when she gets tired and would like to cuddle. She follows our little rituals: when I tell her that we will go for a walk, she tells me to put on my sunglasses and when we start walking, she asks me to tell her stories.

It is just pure love that I get from her and every time I feel this, I am happy that I realized how busy I was, that I am in a situation that makes it possible for me to spend time with her and that we have our little Apra.