Today is the first official day of summer. It’s the Summer Solstice here in the Northern hemisphere and the longest day of the year. In my town the sun rose at 5:48 am and will set at 8:33 pm. That means I’ll have 14 hours and 45 minutes of daylight to enjoy. I’m going to make the most of this longest day by practicing mindfulness and focusing on just one thing at a time.

Instead of multi-tasking, I’m going to uni-task! And to remind myself to pay attention to these two intentions, I’m wearing my green Donate Life bracelet. I got off to a good start this morning when I awoke at 4:30 am. Instead of thinking about all the things I needed to do today, I just lay there noticing my breathing—in and out, in and out. And amazingly, I fell back to sleep!

When I prepared my orange at breakfast, I noticed its beautiful color and fragrance. And when I sat down to eat it, I put aside today’s paper and simply savored each bite, enjoying the sweet, tart flavor of the juice as it slid down my throat.

As I go about my day, I will fully engage with each person I encounter. I’ll look them in the eye and listen to what they’re saying without thinking about what to say next. I’ll use all of my senses to appreciate this beautiful first day of summer and acknowledge my gratitude for the many gifts in my life.

When I get “lost in thought,” I will catch myself and come back to the present and remind myself of this opportunity—14 hours and 45 minutes of beautiful light to practice being present.

How are you spending the longest day of the year?

Recently, my daughter was complaining about the mean girls in my granddaughter’s class. Without giving it much thought, I replied: “Oh, that’s what kids do in the first grade!”

Boy, did I blow it with my off-handed remark—on two counts! I should have known better. First of all, if I’d listened more carefully, I would have remembered the E-word, which my daughter is always reminding me to use. Secondly, I completely minimized her distress.

A few days later we talked about our conversation and she admitted that my response bothered her. I said I need to make myself a bumper sticker:

EMPATHIZE DON’T MINIMIZE

She loved the idea.

All she wanted me to say was “It must be so hard to watch that mean behavior” and affirm what she was feeling, and then commiserate a little. For example, “I remember when you were little and the kids teased you. I felt so helpless, I didn’t know what to do.

Empathize Don’t Minimize has become my new mantra because that’s what the parents of our grandchildren want. And for that matter, that’s what all the people in our lives want. Being the problem-solver that I am, I have to remind myself over and over again that people don’t want advice; they want you to understand how they’re feeling.

My next step was to turn to the Internet for inspiration. And, did I discover a gold mine! TeachEmpathy.com was #6 in the 2.7 million results I got when I googled “learning empathy.” The website is sponsored by the Nonviolent Communication Academy and was created to contribute clarity around the topic of empathy and understand how it can enrich your life.

Here’s how they define empathy:

The capability to share and understand another’s emotions and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to “put oneself into another’s shoes.”

The origin of the word empathy dates back to the 1880s, when German psychologist Theodore Lipps coined the term einfuhlung (literally, “in-feeling”) to describe the emotional appreciation of another’s feelings.

In an essay entitled “Some Thoughts on Empathy,” Columbia University psychiatrist Alberta Szalita stated, “I view empathy as one of the important mechanisms through which we bridge the gap between experience and thought.”

In U.S. President Barack Obama’s own words: “Empathy strikes me as the most important quality that we need in America and around the world.”

I’m sure I’ll be writing more about this subject because I need practice, practice, practice!

Sometimes the simplest pleasures can bring us the most joy. Last week, when I was visiting my two granddaughters on a beautiful spring afternoon, I experienced a moment of pure joy. My granddaughters rode their scooters to the end of the cul-de-sac and spotted their neighbor’s rope swing hanging from a large branch of an enormous oak tree. The neighbor, also a grandma, greeted us and said we were welcome to use the swing.

The seven-year old climbed on the wooden seat and asked me to push her. Then she got off and let her younger sister have a turn. At first the three-year old was a little hesitant. But, as soon as I placed her legs tightly around the rope and gave her a little push, she loved it. She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky. The look of ecstasy that came over her face was one of those photo “ops” that made me want to run back to the house and get my camera.

I resisted the urge because I didn’t want to spoil the moment. Instead of trying to capture the moment on film, I made a conscious effort to let my memory take the picture. I drank in the details of the blue sky and puffy white clouds and their shrieks of laughter as I pushed them higher. Their exuberance gave me a feeling of total exhilaration. I thought how fortunate these two little girls are to live in a safe neighborhood where they are welcome to enjoy a neighbor’s swing that was enjoyed by her children.

If you’d like inspiration for outdoor activities to enjoy with your grandchildren, check out one of my favorite websites: Rebecca Plants. She has a free download of 50 Outdoor Activities Guide for Busy Families. As Rebecca says: Quality time outside with our children creates a priceless bond and beautiful memories.