I've been saying for years, "I can't WAIT until I turn forty!" I've said that partly because I want people to say, "What? You don't look forty!" Shallow, I know. But as we women age, that sort of thing just gets into our heads. Hey! Don't say you haven't thought the same thing! So, I'm still excited about turning forty, but it kind of snuck up on me.
So many things have been going through my head in the past few weeks. Multiple deep conversations with Darrell, my partner of 24 years, as well as singular contemplation have me thinking... a lot.
About my husband, children, faith, race relations, my body, my home, my city.....on and on.
So....for the next few weeks, I'll attempt to catch those ideas and keep them here as a reminder of who I was in 2013.
Time is speeding up.
You know when you were a kid and your grandma said something about "Every time I turn around, it's Sunday!" Or, "Time just flies by!" Well, it turns out that she was right. I started this blog almost a year ago to record my feelings (blah, blah, blah) on my way to forty. Guess what? I've got a little over a month to go and I've posted nine times, in a whole year! I guess you can say I've been busy with my kids and my life, but the truth is that I need to cultivate the art of slower living. Stopping to breathe, savor, remember. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. Soooo, what slow living thing did I do today (beside stop to write this blog post)?
I went out in the garden and painstakingly filed a tiny bit of seed coat off of each of many sugar snap peas before planting them. This helps them to germinate faster. It was cold, for Alabama, so my hands got numb and I kept dropping the seeds. I kept at it, crouched in the dirt, watching my chickens scratch happily in the newly tilled soil and leaf mulch. Time did slow down. The kids played with the chickens and the peas got planted. I also measured out the area for a new chicken coop that will be built this weekend. Working on projects that have an ending in the future, like waiting for seeds to come up or planning a building project, does seem to slow time. New activities...things that require more attention, planning, concentration, seem to slow time. I'll be looking for these moments, often.
Love it. Slowing time down-intentionally-does take effort, or so it seems. You're doing a great job though of noting what really matters-the everyday, little things :). They seem to add up to the what really matters in life, don't they. Enjoy being 39 for a while longer! I'll check back soon!
ReplyDeleteKate