Today, on my way to work, winding around the beautiful Cabin John parkway in DC, next to the Potomac River, at 6:30 in the morning, I saw a huge turtle trying to cross the road.

I let out a gasp. Then I quickly looked around to see if there was a place to pull off. Of course there isn’t on the parkway. My heart sank. I know what will probably happen.

I started to think about how most people I know regard life. It’s in our being, our cells, our DNA, our wiring to have compassion. Even the driver next to me who was weaving in and out of traffic and being “not so kind” on the road saw the turtle too, and for a moment, we exchanged a heart-full and regretful glance. A glance of “oh my goodness, can we do anything?” Instinctual within both of us was a desire to preserve life.

My husband has a way of tenderly and mindfully regarding life. He NOTICES things in nature. He pauses and regards life. Like this tiny caterpillar.

Brian holding a tiny caterpillar on a nature walk with our children

Over the years of living with and loving Brian, his practice of pausing and noticing and REGARDING life has soaked into my bones. This is a gift he has given us. And he is passing this on to our children.

When our children stop and pick up a worm, bug or ant, they regard it as a sacred moment. They know they are on sacred ground. Their bodies become calm, their breathing slows down, and their eyes…their eyes widen. I FEEL the energy of their hearts widening too. They know they are holding LIFE. Even in its tiniest form, they know to reverence life.

It doesn’t matter to me when my children begin to read, when they know their multiplication tables, how many A+’s they receive, if they hit the ball out of the park or if they get into an ivy league school.

If Brian and I can pass on to our children such a regard for life, and this under girds all they do, I will say that we’ve done an incredible job parenting.

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Readers, friends, colleagues, clients — notice how you regard life.  How are you tender and kind with the vulnerable?  How do you teach your children to regard life?  In our fast-paced, busy, and disconnected culture, it is a Sacred Moment to pause and regard life.  It reconnects us to our hearts and all of creation.  Today – take a moment and regard life — whether that’s in how you look at your own reflection in the mirror, how you hold your children, watering a plant, petting your dog, or working in your garden. Notice how it feels to be connected again and regard life in a harsh world.