The Alphabet Game and Mindfulness
Journey with Isai #2
My Dear Son, Isai,
I am writing this letter at 4:50 am on a Friday morning. When I woke up, I saw that you were cuddling with your mamma and sleeping so well.
Since you were a baby, you have been very close to your mum, and I bet you like her warmth, and I don’t blame you. Your mamma is so cuddly, and yes, it is a nice feeling!
Sometimes, I wonder if you are too close to your mamma or to me, your Dada. One of the reasons why you are close to me is that I give you some time every day to play on my computer.
We have a fixed “computer time,” which is at 6 pm every day; it is something you eagerly await. I see you have a special interest in technology and you do some amazing things at such a young age, as little as 3.5 years old.
Anyway, this letter is not to tell you about how amazing you are with computers, but rather about a striking point that crossed my mind when I opened my computer this morning.
Yesterday, during your playtime, I was nearby doing something on my mobile. You always want me to be with you, to watch the sort of game you are playing, and to help you understand it.
But I hope you will understand when you become a father, even though you will like it, it may not always be possible.
Yesterday, you bumped into a new game and asked me, “What is it?”
I just looked at the screen and said, “You are not old enough to understand that game, Isai. I would rather advise you to go back and play what I already taught you or what you know,” and I returned to my work.
Despite me saying this, you continued to play, and I glanced over when you told me, “Dada, look, I can do this.” I simply looked and said, “Good,” and returned to what I was doing.
I was trying to catch up with the world news when you were telling me this.
But when I opened the computer today, I saw the game you were trying to play, and it was a very simple game. You could have done it very easily if I had spent two minutes on it because it was a simple game of arranging the alphabet in order.
This morning, I felt a bit sad for not being mindful yesterday when you asked me. Perhaps I missed an opportunity to teach you a new game.
So, I want to tell you, son, I have used this opportunity to reflect on my behaviour. I am not being overly critical of myself on this occasion, but using it as a reference to be more mindful next time and to spend a minute to see what you are asking me!
I don’t know how old you are when you are reading this, but let me stress that I want you to know that despite our best efforts, there are times we still don’t do things as we expect. We are humans and, as we get more engaged in our daily lives, we will have our things that keep us busy.
Being able to do everything exactly as we like and please is a utopia.
Suppose you find yourself in any situation like mine; even reflecting on it is great. I strongly believe it is the first step you can take to understand yourself better and work towards a more mindful approach.
Today, when you get up, and before you go to school, I will tell you about this and help you learn how to play this game. I am sure we will both enjoy that session.
Have a great day at the nursery, my son
