When he was small, my youngest son had a habit of filling his pockets with treasures he encountered in his daily adventures. I didn't always understand the value he saw in his chosen objects -- really, how many rocks and sticks could one boy keep? In his eyes, though, each one was beautiful and important. Life is just like that on a larger scale, isn't it? We gather up the precious bits of our experiences and save them all to learn from and enjoy later. Perhaps you'll find a little something here that you'd like to keep in your own pockets. Thanks for visiting.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Wild ride

I have never been a person who enjoys amusement park rides.  I know there are probably a lot of thrill-seekers out there who are gasping in horror as they read my admission, but there's something about huge metal machines that spin and climb and drop and race and whirl violently that sends me into a very unpleasant panic.  When I was a younger, teenaged me, I foolishly ignored that panic in a couple of momentary lapses of good judgement, and tried to impress Matt and my friends by partaking in the odd Zipper or roller-coaster ride, but it never ended well.  After emerging a hyperventilating, wobbly-legged, stomach-churning mess each time, I learned that I am definitely more suited to quieter, less insane activities, and I eventually stopped trying to be someone I'm not.

Some lessons need to be re-learned in life, obviously.  In the past couple of months, our day-to-day experiences have felt a little bit like another fast-paced amusement park ride; the four of us have been racing along at breakneck speed from one activity to another as school and extra-curriculars have geared-up before winding down for the summer.  Though I know it was my choice to get on the ride (and in this case I have enjoyed a lot of the moments on it), I find myself longing for it to slow down now, for things just to be still for awhile so I can stop feeling like I'm in a panic all the time.  Maybe it's because summer vacation is so close now that I'm so very eager for it to arrive, but my mind and body have definitely been telling me lately that it's time to stop spinning madly, because I'm still not a person who prefers a life of fast-paced adventures.

Sometimes life gets to be a bit of a wild ride, and that's okay for awhile -- I've also learned over the years that I can't control everything.  But I know I need the crazy times to be interspersed with times of calm, and I'm so looking forward to a couple of months where our days stretch out before us like a gently winding road, ready to take us wherever we'd like to go at our own pace, with lots of grassy stretches to stay and sit for awhile if we choose not to go anywhere at all.  I crave days spent with warm sand between our toes and beautiful lakes to cool off in, for sun-kissed evenings spent playing in the backyard, for unhurried times spent laughing and catching up with much-loved family members and good friends.  I long for impromptu picnics, gorgeous summer sunsets, hours spent reading good books and enjoying good meals, and chances to explore places we haven't had time to visit in awhile.   You will not find me on any roller-coasters this summer (I'll leave those for you thrill-seekers out there!) -- but I will be relaxed and happy while I enjoy summer at my own speed.  Long live the slow-moving days of summer....

1 comment:

  1. What a beautiful description of the lazy days do summer. There is something so inviting about them, isn't there? I hope it slows down for you soon so you can drink in every slow moment fully.

    I related to every word in this post....

    ReplyDelete