Be Present Life Lessons From My Children at the Zoo
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
Today was one of those days.
The kind that drains you, makes you tired, unaware, exhausted, defeated.
But then, in the middle of the noise, my children reminded me of something profound.
A Vietnamese Lesson in Fatherhood
There’s an old Vietnamese quote:
“Một ngày làm cha, cả đời làm cha. Nhưng có khi, con là thầy của cha mẹ.”
One day as a father, a lifetime as a father. But sometimes, children are the teachers of their parents.
That truth hit me at the zoo with my family.
I was watching the clock.
Checking my phone.
Focused on the schedule.
Until my son asked:
“We waited the whole month to go to the zoo. And you are worried about time We should have fun.”
It stopped me in my tracks.
I realized I wasn’t present.
Letting Go of Time
So I put the phone away.
I let go of the plan.
And because of that, we caught something magical.
A giant elephant stepped into the water, splashing and playing,
while my children laughed and watched in awe.
Had I stayed buried in the schedule, I would have missed it.
And it made me think. How many of these moments will I get
The Shortness of Life
Life is short.
We all die—the rich and the poor.
Legacy doesn’t mean much if you miss the present chasing it.
Pushing my kids in a little wagon past lions, giraffes, and seals,
with the sun on my face and their laughter in my ears,
I knew: This is enough.
I’ll walk with them for as long as I can.
And if my time comes sooner than expected, I’ll still be okay.
Because I was there when it mattered.
Choosing Presence Over Fear
When I feared death, I didn’t live.
Now that I’ve accepted it, I feel awake.
Peace is here, in the hands of my children.
So the next time you’re blessed with a little moment—stop.
Take a breath.
Live it fully.
Because sometimes, the ones we’re supposed to teach…
Are the ones here to teach us.
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“We don’t remember days, we remember moments.” – Cesare Pavese