Think about it.   Accomplish nothing.  Accomplish defined by Webster means to succeed in doing.  Nothing means void of any act.  

Accomplish nothing. The mere phrase can bring winter chills to the Type As of the world and sheer joy to those of the opposite personality type.

 As I write this article, I am sitting on a dock at a lake in Wisconsin.  It is one of those cloudy, warm late fall days, and the sound of the choppy grey waves splashes in rhythm with my fingers on the keyboard.  An occasional speed boat goes by with enthusiastic boaters in tow.  The sun breaks through the clouds periodically, casting a dazzling spray of diamonds across the water.  The cool breeze plays with my hair, lifting it here and there in a random pattern.  The quiet sounds of fall surround me.

My two youngest daughters are laying on the dock, their hands playing in the water.  They are sending out tiny leaf boats with tiny flowers (translation: little people sailing on pirate ships) on them to see how long they will float before they collide with the rocky shoreline.  They laugh as they make wet leaf patterns on the wooden dock and have placed our mugs of warm apple cider on top of new leaf boats to curl them enough to float.  Their shiny blonde hair tangles in the breeze.

I sigh with envy as I watch my daughters play.  The type of envy that only an adult can have when watching a child in their element.  Envy that longs to remember, and at times return, to the carefree days of childhood.  

My life responsibilities are numerous, and I turn my attention to a mental list of things that must be accomplished when we return home.  Then my grown-up thoughts cease, and I observe my girls carefully placing ice cubes on the wooden dock to watch them melt in the cool, draughty wind. On their stomachs, they surrender themselves in complete silence watching the puddles of water broaden as the ice slowly shrinks.  Satisfied, they roll over on their backs and soak up the intermittent rays of sunshine.  They laugh and talk and give each other secret smiles and whisper in each other’s ears.  Their deep blue eyes sparkle.

They are accomplishing nothing, I think to myself.  I am surprised at my thoughts and at the simultaneous feelings of envy, pleasure, sadness and awe.

There is a familiar, if long-ago, ring to accomplish nothing.  As children, we didn’t realize it; we just lived as children are supposed to live…simply and in the moment.  

As an adult, I have to remember what that means.  How to do it.  

And why it is so important. 

I glance at the girls again and notice that they have moved from their backs to the end of the pier to watch for fish.  Their tanned, slender legs dangle and swing slowly in an identical pattern.  They sit in complete silence with their arms around each other waiting for a fish to grace their presence.  At this moment, there is nothing more important to them than seeing a finned friend emerge on the surface of the water.  This is entertainment.  This is fun.  This is what their lives are all about.  A fish appears.  They quietly hug each other, assured that all is right with the world.

This is a miracle…right in front of my eyes.  

This is accomplish nothing in the flesh.  

And it’s so close to me that I can literally touch it.  Tears fill my eyes.  Tears of happiness that my children are allowed to have a childhood graced with time for thought and respite…tears of longing for the feeling of my lighthearted childhood days long past.  

Accomplish nothing.  This is what I need to learn to do.  Somehow.  

Sometimes. Again.

So, how does a mother of six children actually learn to accomplish nothing again…and still maintain her sanity? The answer?  

I’m still seeking it.  But somehow I know that if I don’t begin this journey, the peace and sanity that comes with living in the moment will elude me more often than not.

Somehow in the hustle and bustle of modern life, I must find my way through the sometimes pathless forest of my own life to gain and keep the perspective of accomplishing the task of doing absolutely nothing.  

Of hanging out even more with my children.  Of sitting quietly and listening to the rain on the leaves.  Of sleeping in a bit and then losing myself in a good book for the rest of the day.  Of watching a movie all the way through without interruption or without falling asleep after the opening credits.  Of going out with friends just for the sheer joy and therapy of the laughter.  Of regenerating my soul and a positive attitude toward life.

How exactly does one discipline oneself to do nothing?  Isn’t that an oxymoron in today’s fast-paced, just-do-it society?  Our modern world requires multi-tasking at its highest level.  We return phone calls, and we help our families at the same time.  We simultaneously e-mail and handle bills. We can be reached anytime, anywhere through the use of technology that allows us to live plugged-in lives 24/7.

Being busy is okay as long as we keep it under control.  And when we know we’ve reached our capacity, filled up our own cloud space, reached the brim of the coffee cup, and gone on system overload – that’s the time when we need to replenish our souls…and accomplish nothing.

In silence and solitude, we hear the voices of our own hearts.  We can get in touch with our deepest emotions, secrets, passions, and happiest memories.  This kind of silence removes us from the speeding train of life and guides us inward to a timeless well of strength and fulfillment.  Without this stop, we cannot truly catch up with ourselves.

How do we reclaim our lost silence?

Perhaps I should begin by observing my children’s play habits.  I can watch and learn from them when they curl up in a comfortable chair and allow their minds wander through the sheer unlimited possibilities of their world.  When they’re reading or pretending to live in another world and be someone else.  

When they color outside the lines.

I can stop and smell the proverbial roses.  I can find a way to listen to the notes of life and appreciate them for their simple music.  I can search my soul for the important life rhythms that I left behind a while ago.  Breathe deeply, close my eyes, and relish in life’s profound miracles.  I am determined to learn to accomplish nothing more often.  Because if I don’t, I am allowing the world to run my life, set my pace, and ultimately keep me from myself.  And if I don’t know who I am, my capacity to live in the moment and enjoy the company of those important to me diminishes.

And I am in danger of becoming what I never want to be – a person who has forgotten how to get out of her own way and lose herself from time to time. Leaning into the silence and quiet helps my mind to quiet – and then to run wild with ideas for new children’s stories. This is important to me.

I want to be an adult who can still see the world through a child’s eyes…accomplish nothing…and choose to go there sometimes and stay for a while. Wish me luck!

Family Ink: The Mother and Son Storytelling Team