While reading a recent conversation on Facebook between two family members, I caught sight of these words: “You have time for whatever you MAKE time for”. My cousin (who has no idea I am quoting her until now – Hi!) said it and I loved it the moment I read it.
This evening, my husband spent an hour riding bikes around and around and around our neighborhood with our daughter. Then he pushed her on the tire swing for another hour until she fell asleep. I watched, smiling, knowing how fleeting these moments when they are small are. Knowing he doesn’t always make the time.
I strolled over to him in the yard as he pushed her curled up, band-aided, dirty body on the tire swing and said “I am so glad you had time for her today” and he said “I made the time for her today.”
As busy as we can make ourselves feel, or sometimes as busy as we want to seem to others, there is nothing more important than just making time. For a friend. For a daughter. For someone who wants you and needs you for something. There is always something else you can do, somewhere else you can be. We all get the same amount of time each day. If we say we don’t have the time, what we really mean is that we don’t want to make the time. Because if you can’t make it for one thing, it means you made it for something else. Something else took priority.
Today, choose to make the time. Make time for yourself. Make time for someone else. Make the time for something you’ve been putting off. I doubt you’ll regret it.
Visit the other 31 Day Series:
Sandy Coughlin – Reluctant Entertainer – 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining
Darcy – Life with my 3 Boybarians – 31 Days to a Better Photo
Jen – Balancing Beauty and Bedlam – 31 Days to More with Less
Melissa Michaels – The Inspired Room – 31 Days of Autumn Bliss
Emily F – Chatting at the Sky – 31 Days of Grace
Kendra – My First Kitchen – 31 Days to an Inspired Table
The Nester – Nesting Place – 31 Days to a Less Messy Nest
This is so true Emily. I get asked a lot, “how do you have time for everything you do?” and I always respond that I make time. Amazing what you can “find” time to do when you make it a priority (and how many meaningless things you DON’T do in order to make those priorities happen!). And no better way to spend your time than being IN those fleeting moments with your kids! Lovely
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Thank you so much for this humbling post! You are so right, and I really need to make more time for what’s important, instead of complain about how busy I am. Great advice!
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This is perfectly timed for me. And I will long remember that photo of your girl asleep on the tire swing. Too precious – what a picture of the result of someone making time for her – complete surrendering rest. Love it.
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This post brought tears to my eyes… it’s so true. Thank you for the beautiful reminder
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She fell ASLEEP?! That is precious.
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Thank you for the awesome words, Emily.
I love the saying: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today is a gift.
Happy Monday, Emily!
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Hi Emily… Love this post and you are so right.. you have time for (or who) you make time for… Thank you for spelling it out for me
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This is just where I have been at in my own musings. Sometimes I get caught up in a hurried state, when just blocking out time my main priorities, (homeschooling, mothering, meals and home) and choosing to slow my mind down and fully be present in those things helps me regain my composure. And then I find I have time for other things after all! Working on that this week, so I don’t keep racing through the fall at a frantic pace!
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Emily,
I’m loving your series and look forward to it each day. I read and am convicted and breathe a sigh of “she’s right.” Love the simple reminder to ‘make’ the time. thx.
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So true are those words…we have 24 hours every day to make the time for God, our family, our self…We must prioritize what is most important to us and most of all what is important in light of eternity!
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So refreshing and true. I look forward to following you this month as I work on a continual remodel of my own life – forever under construction.
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Love love LOVE this photo.
http://ashleyanderic.blogspot.com
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Emily,
All I can say is WOW! and thanks for the wake up call!!!!
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Tonight, I sat outside for 20 minutes and looked at the stars… with my hubby
And then I came inside and folded the 3 loads of clothes on our bed so we could GO to bed, lol!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/pruning-away-to-be-more/
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This is something I’m learning as my daughter grows older. I feel as if she needs more time with me than when she was younger. She wants to soak up everything around her. She wants me to teach her how to sew, how to cook, how to “insert whatever” . . . I’m trying to be better about making the time for those things to happen.
Last week, I set aside two hours {I really didn’t have} and we sewed a purse together. We had so much fun laughing and making mistakes over and over again. When we finished, she had the biggest smile on her face and gave me a genuine, “Thank you, Mom!” It was so worth it!
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Excellent post!!!
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I am going to write down that quote right now! Wow.
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If we say we don’t have the time, what we really mean is that we don’t want to make the time. Because if you can’t make it for one thing, it means you made it for something else. Something else took priority….WOW! There it is in black and white. Something else took priority…how many times did I let that happen under the disguise of “being too busy”? I am vowing to be more accountable for each time I want to say I’m too busy and to see what else it is that is vying for the priority spot.
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[...] Emily has shared 31 days of living simply. Fabulous posts full of wisdom and insight. Here’s a quote that stood out for me. As busy as we can make ourselves feel, or sometimes as busy as we want to seem to others, there is nothing more important than just making time. For a friend. For a daughter. For someone who wants you and needs you for something. There is always something else you can do, somewhere else you can be. We all get the same amount of time each day. If we say we don’t have the time, what we really mean is that we don’t want to make the time. Because if you can’t make it for one thing, it means you made it for something else. Something else took priority. Today, choose to make the time. Make time for yourself. Make time for someone else. Make the time for something you’ve been putting off. I doubt you’ll regret it. – Emily, Remodeling this Life [...]
Hello, Emily, I found your blog via Sandy’s Reluctant Entertainer. Love Sandy and her blog!
I was struck by this post,in particular. So much so that I quoted from it on my Facebook page and added your link for others to read and enjoy. Thank you for a wonderful blog, Emily. I look forward to reading more from you!
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