Little Caregiver

 [Bug] bought himself a stuffed pikachu yesterday, and today he's taught him how to play on the playground, tucked him in for a nap, and bandages his injuries.

My first thought was "awwww, he's going to be great parent some day." Then I thought, well, what if he doesn't want to have kids? He'll be a great caregiver. Maybe he'll care for animals or the elderly.

Then I thought some more. Who knows what he'll do with his life. Maybe he won't want to do any sort of caregiver work. For a moment I was trapped into thinking about him in the future instead of seeing him right now.

He is an excellent caregiver RIGHT NOW. He is fully a human being RIGHT NOW. He is uniquely himself RIGHT NOW.

It is so hard to break the habit of thinking about everything my kids do in terms of how it MIGHT impact their future, instead of seeing them and reacting to them right now, in this moment, without the anxieties and fears of the "what ifs" and the assumptive (often setting up for disappointment) "what could be's".

Thanks for the reminder, little caregiver.