WOMADelaide 2016 & Connecting With Family

Do you feel like there is so much happening in everyday life that you forget to stop and really appreciate your family? Sometimes in a moment when I stare at my child’s face, seeing them as they really are, noticing everything about the way their blue eyes shine, the shape of their nose, the rumpled hair, the colour of their skin – I fill up with the love of these people I made, as well as a sense that I am seeing them for the first time. Your head can trick you into thinking that the most important thing is to get the kids to school on time, tick off the reader homework book, get to the multitude of appointments and meetings and after school activities. Parents are seen madly driving between the things they have racked up for their kids to do, shouting at them to move or they will be late. Kids come home with bags full of homework when they really should be coming home to unwind, spend time exploring the world, or simply allowing their brains and bodies to grow and expand into the world without anyone telling them what is on the schedule next. Spending time connecting with family is vital.
This is one of the reasons I love a good road trip. It is one of the only times that our little family are together in one space for an extended time without the push and pull of the outside world. There is nobody but us deciding what to do for the day. We  make up stories and songs and jokes as we drive. We explore the world and we explore each other, we get to know each other again and form even stronger bonds than we had before.
It is wonderful to have lots to do in life, things that excite you, all the ideas and directions that get you out of bed everyday. There are also all the mundane and the must do things of life. But if you take a look at it, how much of the time you spend doing things is really important, or necessary? I know the thousands of time a day I look at my social media accounts is definitely NOT necessary or useful to my life, and in fact a lot of it is actually damaging, to me and to all the other things I could be doing.
Attending something like the WOMADelaide festival is a bit like a road trip. I have been taking my children there since they were babies – all 3 of them. As the event has grown, so have they. Things have changed from the early days in the 90’s where it was a little village of people, to a large thriving festival, but the feeling of creating a village of people with the same focus in mind, to enjoy a trip around the world from the Adelaide botanic gardens, remains the same. Families flock to this event because of the good natured vibe, the sense that you are safe here, the acceptance of all kinds of people, the music, the dance and the food. This year Maxwell was almost excited about going as he is about Christmas. He ranks Christmas as 1000 on the excitement scale, the Adelaide show at 158 and WOMADelaide at 158! Easter came in at an even 1000 with Christmas!

The rhythm of this world music festival is part of the pleasure. Arriving around lunch time we set up a base under a big tree. Food is the first on the list, with a wander through the huge range of options to bring back a feast to camp. There are then so many choices to be made about which act to see, which talk to listen to, which workshop to attend. Often there are the moments where you just sit at base, soaking in the sounds, sights and smells that are as familiar as home. Stepping into the park is so familiar to us in fact that it is just like being home. This year Maxwell packed a torch, batman in case we needed him, a fixing thing (spanner) in case anything breaks, a sword, light saber, uno, marbles, a minecraft book, some lego guys and chess. All were vital at certain points of the weekend. There is plenty for families to do as well with the kidszone activities and a special installation each year – this year being the enormous Stonehenge replica jumping castle which takes 100 people at a time!


 





Have a quick look at my Womadelaide 2016 video featuring Husky, The Strides, The Once and Ladysmith Black Mambazo

WOMADelaide is the perfect opportunity to take some time out from everyday life and connect with your family. I spoke to a few other people who were doing the same – reconnecting with their partner and kids across this 4 days of dance and music.
There is still a whole day to go so if you are in Adelaide and thinking about something to do grab your tickets at the gate and if not, there is always next year. Mr Recycled and I are off for a date day today, light sabers blazing and spanners aloft
Helen
xx