They grow up so fast.
It all happens in the blink of an eye.
I find these statements to be true. I've only been doing this mothering thing for 3 years now, but I see the truth and reality in what everyone seems to say.
It's not just kids though. Time flies. Period. My heart and my mind have felt caution about this. Caution about busyness I suppose.
When someone asks you, "How are you doing?, does your response include the word busy?
"Good, but busy." "Busier than I'd like!" "Oh, things are busy right now..."
What's with the epidemic of busyness? Please, someone give me some answers. I battle it all the time. And it bleeds into every part of life. Particularly family, friends and food. Those are 3 areas that I've seen busyness really attack- at least in my life. My relationships seems to take a serious blow when busyness strikes. Even when I'm actually spending time with my friends and family in the midst of busyness, I am not fully present. I am living in the future. The lists are forming in my head and next steps are being plotted. And when I am a woman of the future, I am grievously missing the present.
Fast food. And I'm not just talking McDonalds. I'm talking the loss of a table and chairs and people sitting in them. The loss of REAL food. You know, when time and ingredients are mixed together with love and care and conscience. Planning, purchasing and preparing meals takes time. Sure does. And I'm afraid we don't do those things when we get busy. I'm afraid the health of thousands of people has and will continue to pay the cost for our lack of care because we can't or won't take the time to plan or prepare or even think about what goes into our bodies.
So what's a girl to do? I know as our children get older there will only be more and more opportunities for things to
3 comments:
Oh my beloved Sara. I hear you. We get so caught up in a whirl of everything going on that it feels as if we're not living directly in the middle of our lives. I don't have the answer by any means, but here are some antidotes I'm trying to apply to my life.
1. I've tried to look at the word "busy" as a curse word. I may feel crazed but I'm making a conscious effort to replace that word with slower, fuller words like "saunter, mosey, linger, savor." The words we use do have an impact on us, so even if I'm rushing off on errands I try to say "I'm off for a jaunt,"
2. You're so right that thinking about what's coming up takes us out of the present moment. And that's all we've really got. I remind myself, over and over, to be exactly where I am. Right in the traffic jam or standing at the sink. There are blessings right there when I look.
3. One of the best ways I find to keep myself in the moment is getting out of my head entirely. Our culture teaches us at a young age to largely ignore sensory input, instead focusing on thoughts. But that's not the whole of ourselves, the whole person God made. So to stay in the moment and halt the "busy" mind I notice the water flowing over my hands as I wash dishes, or the light coming in the car window, or the way my aching neck is trying to tell the rest of me to stop slouching. I actually think your kids are the best tutors of this state of awareness: http://lauragraceweldon.com/2011/04/20/how-to-access-your-body%E2%80%99s-unique-%E2%80%9Cknowing%E2%80%9D/
Thanks for your reply Laura. I was hoping I'd hear from you :)
I was going to reply but I've been too busy! How sad is that? I have, however, been thinking about this blog since I read it and reflecting about how this reality has impacted my life and the small ways I may be starting to address the business. More on that later.
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