“In the blink of an eye everything can change. So forgive often and love with all your heart. You may not have that chance again.”
Zig Ziglar

This quote kept coming to mind today as I read, In the Blink of an Eye, the beautiful new children’s book by Dr. Ronald S. Dachman. It really is a powerful reminder to slow down, remember what’s important and appreciate every moment.

It’s no surprise that Dr. Ron would create such a masterpiece that so many of us, as parents and educators, can relate to. He has spent over thirty years as a pediatric psychologist and president of Behavioral Psychology Associates, speaking with children, teens, and their parents about finding a balance in today’s’ ever changing world.

As you may know, if you follow me regularly on social media or have read my book, Educate the Heart, I feel strongly about allowing children the time to focus, think, create, and simply be kids, without being rushed around from place to place, or on devices, as is often the case nowadays.

My husband and I really do try our best to not over schedule our children but we can relate to the dad, Jacob, and the daughter, Scarlett Rose, because it is so easy to get caught up in all the things we think we ‘have’ to do and forget to just slow down, relax, have fun, and just enjoy being together as a family.

Jacob and Scarlett Rose make a great team, and their single dad/ daughter relationship show a family that is not traditional but relatable to many. In the story Jacob and Scarlett are both so busy and tired they are making mistakes about simple things, like Scarlett puts on her soccer uniform for ballet, and they fall right to sleep at night, sometimes without even the energy to put pajamas on!

This all changes for the better when Jacob finds a flyer, advertising a carousel exhibit at a nearby park, happening over the weekend. They go, Scarlett rides the carousel, and it reminds Jacob of his childhood, how he felt so many years ago, and the “joy he felt as he waved to his parents each time he passed them.”

I don’t want to give the whole story away but something magical happens, and between the carefully chosen words of Dr. Ron and the delightful illustrations by Elly Sebastian, Jacob, along with the reader is transformed to a whole other world.

The powerful fantastic turning point, along with a very special mystery note a little bit later, help Jacob to remember what’s truly important in his life. It also helps us all, as readers, to reflect on how we spend our time and energy and how we can better create moments and memories our children truly deserve.

My children and husband enjoyed reading In the Blink of an Eye and I’m looking forward to sharing it with my students this week at school. I’m interested to see the emotion in their faces and hear their thoughts about the characters and events. I will be sure to share their reactions about the book on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as I always do when I’m excited about a new book!

It also had me thinking about Valentine’s Day coming up and different types of things we could do as a family that do not involve rushing around and being busy, but rather slowing down and just enjoying each other’s company. I’m considering heart-shaped pizza after reading this blog post!