Today, after a day of travel, we were lounging poolside. Parents and their kids were splashing and jumping into the water all around us. It evoked memories of when we used to do the same with our kids.
As time went on we kept on hearing “Just five more minutes”. The parental attempt to wind down the fun and set the stage for getting out of the water. However, the five minutes was never five minutes. The kids became master negotiators and cajoled their parents into more time. A few squawked and got rewarded with “five more minutes”. In another case the tears escalated a faster exit– there were no more minutes and threats of NEVER coming back to the pool.
The witnessing and hearing the refrain of “just five more minutes” made me exquisitely aware of how we put a time limit on pleasurable moments. It’s no wonder as adults we do the same even when we have full control over our time.
I have empathy for parents trying to collaborate with their kids on having fun. I’ve been there and done it too. Yet, the experience has left me open to the bigger yearning of people’s need to take more time for pleasurable moments. A reminder that sometimes the gift of time to truly enjoy the blissful moments of fun, peace and discovery is just what is needed most.
So, today enjoy five, ten or even fifteen more minutes of something pleasurable. Release the need to time it – just let it unfold. Those will likely be the minutes that you’ll enjoy the most.