| My favorite book when I was 16. |
Okay. Life is full and fast. I get that. As I have aged, it only seems to go faster and get fuller. Maybe it is because as we or I go along in this life I collect more relationships, more fabric (love to sew), more books (love to read), and more family (people just keep on having babies, what's a person to do but love these little creatures?), and of course, another dog or rabbit or hedgehog or cat.
Each of these "tamed responsibilities", to borrow a phrase from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book the Little Prince, have and are a part of my life and truly, I am delighted this is the case. But, wozier, these days are full!
| This is where we would go each morning and evening. So lovely to have in our back yard. |
Certainly there have been days that have moved as though they are in slow motion. They have a charm all their own. Some of my favorites took place in the summer when my four children were all below the ages of eight.
These days would start early with a trip to the beach in our town. We would get there around 8:00 AM and stay until someone was hungry or had to use the washroom. Then we would pile back into the Blue Astrovan, as the children were so fond of calling the car*, go home and repeat this same routine later in the day after naptime, around 4:00 PM.
We would sit by the water and play in the sand and feel the breeze off the lake. I felt like this is what heaven must be like, until...the troops were restless and it was time to go.
Today, these peaceful days are far and few between. Snippets, yes, days not so much. So I think: I will rest in those these peaceful moments and by doing so will find joy in these very full days.
*When they would ride in the "Blue Astrovan", the children would clamour to hear the cassette tape of the "operating instructions" that came from the manufacturer on how things worked in the minivan. This was thier absolute favorite thing to listen to as we drove back and forth to the beach. Who knew that would be our "sound track" of their childhood summers?
"I will rest in these peaceful moments and by doing so will find joy in these very full days."
ReplyDeleteThat is my new motto.
Amazing that your most peaceful days were when your children were small. I have two, and they area big part of my "full" days! I need to get to a beach, fast.
I totally recommend the beach. I had four in five years. Maybe I think those stolen minutes at the beach were the eye of the hurricane. Thank you so much for the comment.
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