Sometimes it feels like I'm just nibbling at the edges of life.
That I'm just grabbing a take out order to go, with a side of happy. When really I should be sitting down to it like a Thanksgiving Day feast. With a heart full of gratitude and nowhere else in particular to be. Taking the time to savor every morsel, and lingering especially to give thanks for the warm & gooey parts that make the whole thing more worthwhile.
Sometimes it feels like I'm on the interstate bypass of life.
That I'm just hurtling down the highway 80 miles an hour, with the world outside blurring by. When really, I should be taking the long, winding country road. The one that allows you to get lost a few times along the way. But you somehow find a better route because of it. The one that forces you to slow down, look around once in a while. And remember why going on adventures was a good idea in the first place.
Sometimes it feels like I'm stuck on the fast forward button of life's remote control.
That I'm just catching the highlights as I skip ahead from point A to point B. When really, I should be caught up in every second of the plot. Laughing the laughs, and crying the tears. Not just being the first one to find out the ending. Because, really, the laughter and the tears along the way are what make the movie worth it to begin with.
Ohhhh, sometimes.
Sometimes I feel like I'm missing the point. And in doing so... I feel like I'm missing life along the way.
And...I just don't like it.
So for the past few weeks, we've been making a conscious effort to slow down. To press pause. And to savor. To gorge ourselves on every sweet thing this life has to offer. And to give thanks for every bit of it every step of the way.
This morning, instead of letting my eyes fly open and jump right into email....I forced myself to keep the computer closed. I sat on the couch with Justin drinking warm apple cider, wrapped in my grandma's quilt. And he spoke soft words as our eyes adjusted slowly to the light. Then we went out and worked in our yard. And I pulled weeds like the old soul that I am. While a golden streak raced around us, and we laughed a little harder at just how crazy he can be.
These are the warm & gooey parts that make this life of ours worthwhile.
And today, with a heart full of gratitude, I bow my head at the table.
Life with J&M
