Toddler, Toddler, Get Off My Leg!

There was a woman walking down the street, minding her own business and appearing to enjoy the view of a beautiful day and peaceful surroundings. She was moving along at a comfortable pace when her toe caught on something and she fell directly to the ground with no time even to break her fall. She skinned her chin and was splayed about across the ground for several moments before she actually realized what had happened – one moment she was moving along and enjoying the moment and the next she was bloodied and sore. I saw this woman fall – and in my own split second moment opted to join her on the ground rather than simply lend her a hand because I thought it was a rare opportunity to see the world from a different angle.

Dear reader, have you scrolled back and re-read that first paragraph wondering if you are over tired or, perhaps, inebriated? You have not lost your mind, it is gibberish but, I implore you to see the hidden message in it. It offers a means of finding joy in life when there may be times that it seems as though joy doesn’t exist – like when your toddler goes from content-normal to demon-aggressor while you wasted your time on a necessary blink, or when you can’t seem to recognize that you are happy in your home despite that fact that it is never clean!!!

Let’s look at the world from a different angle every now and then. I can remember clearly a day in which my then-toddler would not relent – she had to be on me, near me, of me for every-second-of-the-day and I needed to prepare her meal or visit the loo or – most likely – leave the room to stomp, kick and curse my way out of the frustration box that I found myself in!!! No matter how I reasoned – be it calmly one moment, through clenched teeth the next, or in an elevated tone of voice with waving arm accompaniment – she would not relent. Then I had a split second of wisdom (I was even shocked by this) that told me to simply sit still. Clearly nothing that I could do as a parent was going to push her through this cling-on day so I had to admit defeat, I mean, realize and accept that there could be worse curses to my day than to hold my child through the times that she needed that security. Perhaps, if I got down on the ground (see above gibberish) I could actually turn this into a ‘different angle’.

In that moment, life slowed down – as did my heart rate and stress – and I took it for what it was. Nothing else would get my attention – only this time it was by choice rather than by force. And you know what – that was ok. We spend our time giving supportive advice to our friends / family / shadow that we so rarely adhere to ourselves! Take it easy on yourself. When you find yourself in a series of dead-end, head-against-the-wall moments just stand still and ask yourself which will cost the bigger price – the ranting, raving and no-win or the roll with it and be-damned approach. Not easy to put into practice admittedly but you have to try – new ideas or ways of being can't get through the door if you don’t open it first.


Next time you see someone fall to the ground - and these opportunities don't happen often so grab it when it does! - why not lay yourself down and see the world from that angle. It's an opportunity for a different view that you may never have had otherwise.

Let me know if you try it - either laying on the ground or, more practically simply stopping the rant and accepting – and what was the result. Good or bad, I want to hear it…post a comment below.