Slow
I regularly think that one of the most beautiful things about simple living is that life feels slower and more purposeful. By removing all the excess, there is more time, more space to enjoy the small moments of my days.
Sometimes the reality sinks in, though, that no matter what I do, I am not ever literally changing time. I can slow my pace, I can stop more to notice what is happening around me, but I can’t keep the moments from ticking away.
I can savor them, soak them in and hold on as tight as possible but little by little each one slips away, making room for new moments.
Before having kids, and when my daughter was born, I was constantly told to take photos, write things down. It all goes so fast. The beginning of having a child doesn’t feel fast though. Sometimes the days dragged on, the nights seemed oh so long when I was awake for unimaginable amounts of time in the darkness.
When I look back, I know it goes fast. And in this moment, I know it’s going too fast. My son is about to be 2. TWO. I can’t believe how fast we went from impossible teensy size 0 diapers to a boy who sprints to the toilet yelling “run run run”. And my daughter. Who ever said that I would go from nursing her during hot sleepless nights in July to deciding where to send her to Kindergarten in the blink of an eye?
Time goes fast. Moments zoom by. No lifestyle changes that. Things aren’t slower because of the life I’ve chosen and the way I live. But I can hold onto the fact that I’ve been present for a lot more of the moments. I can take comfort in memories of sunny afternoons spent giving “just one more push” on the swings in the yard.
I haven’t slowed time, but I’ve slowed our pace. More time is spent laughing, building, learning, getting dirty, and making memories. Too many moments to put them all in photo books. Some I will just have to store in my mind. I can’t possibly write it all down, capture it all. But by slowing my steps, making it my purpose to be a sponge full of memories from mispronounced words to afternoon naps curled up in a lap that will never be too small to hold them and arms that will always be strong enough to hug as tight as they need.
No, I can’t slow it down. But I can notice and appreciate more as the moments fly by.
This post is part of the Beautiful Life series hosted at The Inspired Room. Check out today’s post for more inspiring entries from around the blog world.
Great perspective. I am still in the cutting phase so that I can continually be more in the moment. Trying to become self-employed makes that difficult sometimes, but it is just another chance to grow. Being present is the only way to live rather than being distracted or focused on something other than the moment.
The Happy Rock´s last blog post..Your Money or Your Life? Choosing Between Family and Career
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So true. Many people wait until vacations, days off, or weekends to take time to enjoy themselves. We make sure we try to be mindful of doing it every day.
Chiot’s Run´s last blog post..Another Reason to Go Local
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“Sometimes the days dragged on, the nights seemed oh so long when I was awake for unimaginable amounts of time in the darkness. ”
This is where I am now. I’m looking forward to more than 2 hours of sleep at a time! I know that it will eventually happen, and my little guy will be a big guy before I know it.
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Love this. I like how you said you pace has slowed down, not the time.
Alana @ Gray Matters´s last blog post..My Wish For Her
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I love this! It is so, so true! We are trying so hard to slow down in our family. I don’t believe that we will ever regret spending time with our family and being in the moment as much as possible! Your blog has been such an inspiration to me this year as we are striving to make these changes.
Keri´s last blog post..Frosty…I mean, Salty
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Gosh! you’ve put it down so beautifully. I might just cry!
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I love this post. I enjoy your blog so much. I just started one of my own about finding truth in my everyday. With recently losing a family member, I’m reminded that we can’t slow time but we can live time redemptively. Thanks for writing so honestly
Nicole Burke´s last blog post..Is Cancer my Burning Bush?
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I’m also in the process of decluttering. I have a hard time living in the moment, and I think that by shedding my excess Stuff, I’ll be better able to focus on the now.
I’mWe’re planning a wedding, and I’d love to be able to enjoy the process and remember it with fond memories instead of rushing through it to get to the final result.SavvyChristine´s last blog post..Common Sense at Work
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I need to print this out and staple it to my forehead. Very well written post. Thank you.
Kimm´s last blog post..Saturday Shout-Outs
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Very insightful. Some things are out of our control. We can choose to hang on and enjoy the ride or fight it the whole time. Sounds like you’re finding a way to manage that push and pull. I bet you’ll have fewer regrets later in life as a result.
Sara at On Simplicity´s last blog post..My Dirty Blogging Secret
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Great advice- wish I had been a little better at that when I had little children at home. Now I try to hang on to the moments with my Grandchildren-
teresa´s last blog post..Made with Love-
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the slower the better
Denise´s last blog post..green
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Love your beautiful living post! My to have a two year old again, my baby just turned 20! My son is now a father of a beautiful little boy and another on the way. How I would savor more if I had a do over with my own children. I have found that all those memories we store away come back all the sweeter and sharper as time goes by. We do not forget them but pull them out more often and page through them like a well worn favorite book. I am glad you have such a great perspective while your children are still young. Thank you for blessing me today.
Sandy´s last blog post..It’s A Beautiful Life Lessons and Decor…
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Really lovely post Emily!
Frugal Trenches´s last blog post..The £20 weekly shop for 2!
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You wonderfully show that slow is beautiful and slow is conscious living. Time goes quickly enough. Rushing through our days just compounds the effect!
Jules @ The Francophile Files´s last blog post..Anthropologie Francophile Plates
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You wonderfully show that slow is beautiful and slow is conscious living. Time goes quickly enough. Rushing through our days just compounds the effect!
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