*Blink*
One morning I spied my son sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, his toes easily touching the floor. I stopped and stared. Something about his posture and those long, lean legs … for a moment, backlit by the morning sun, my eight-year-old boy looked like a teenager.Now, I was a little groggy, which may have added to the effect, but the thought of him that much older made my heart gasp.I didn’t mention it to him at the time. I just moseyed across the room to make my pot of tea. But later in the day, while visiting the library, we stepped into the elevator and I told him.“This morning when I saw you sitting at the kitchen table, I thought, ‘Wow, he looks like a teenager.’”He laughed.I continued, “I feel like I’m just going to *blink* and you’ll be all grown up.” I squeezed my eyes shut and popped them open wide for dramatic effect.He giggled. Goofy mom…
Today at HighCallingBlogs (HCB) I wrote about how quickly the kids seem to grow and how little we can do to stop it.But I found some writers in the HCB network who seem to know how to slow down and take it all in, experience life through all senses, and relish each moment. I invite you to slip over to HighCallingBlogs.com and read my story along with excerpts of theirs and then let me (and HCB readers) know your secret: How do you take in life when it wants to race forward in a *blink*?How do you relish each moment?In the midst of a life that refuses to slow down, how do you slow yourself?I told my kids about my story, describing how I feel that in a *blink*, they’re all grown up. Their advice?“Don’t blink!”Read “It Happens in a Blink” HERE.
“Long legs” photo © 2010 by Ann Kroeker.
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This is so true — it’s all a blink lately. When my kids were infants, it seemed like I couldn’t wait for them to grow up (colic made for a stressed mom). Now I sometimes want time to slow down, and sometimes I want it to speed up (like when I have a ton of work to do, and they are racing around the house like bumblebees on speed!). How do I slow down? I write about the small moments. And keeping my eyes wide open during the day, looking for small moments to write about, helps me appreciate them more when they happen. It seems like sometimes I have to experience life twice to get the most out of it: once in real time, and later again on paper (or on the computer screen).
I love your thoughts on capturing life and living it twice through words. It sounds like living in the moment *at* the moment and then taking time to *revisit* the moment and *reflect* on the moment is your secret.
So sweet-i aint married but will some day and then will remember this-my mom would love to read this…we are each others princess’s and so m i dad’s and uncle’s……
Hi, sugar plum: I think no matter what stage of life a person is in, things can speed up in a *blink*. So perhaps you can be sure to live fully each moment now, practicing for whatever is coming in your future!
Thanks for commenting on my post. And as I said on HCB, I like this post of yours.
I have had the HCB button, and been apart of the community unofficially since last spring. I think the first thing I delurked on was a RAP from L.L. I guess I am technically a member now , so that is cool. So thanks for the welcome.