How long has it been since you’ve
allowed yourself to become lost in a moment? When was the last time you really
smelled the roses? Observed some cows grazing in a pasture? Enjoyed the feel of
your cat’s fur beneath your fingertips? Basked in the warmth of the sun as the
springtime breeze caressed your face? Or gazed up into the nighttime sky filled
with awe and wonder? How long has it been since you’ve taken a moment to enjoy
the simple pleasures that surround us?
I know what you’re thinking…. Who’s got time for that? For goodness sakes, most days, I barely have time to take a
bathroom break. Look, between work, errands, dealing with kids, figuring out
what’s for supper, keeping the house from looking like an episode of Hoarders,
trying to accommodate my husband’s needs, and somehow fitting in a fifteen
minute or so devotional, I barely have time to make it to bed at a decent hour
before it’s time to begin the vicious cycle all over again. Oh, and don’t
worry. I am going to relax. We’ve
got a trip planned for this summer, like always. Trust me, I’ll take some time
then to enjoy nature and whatever else type moments you mentioned.
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| Perdido Beach, Alabama, during a trip we took two years ago. |
Hey, I hear you loud and clear.
Oh, and I most definitely understand because, well, that pretty much sums up my
life, too. But what if we’re missing out by not indulging in a moment here or
there? We lead such hectic, planned-out lives. Think about it, we even feel the
need to schedule time to relax. Yeah, let that sink in for a minute, why don’t
you.
Honestly, does relaxation and
planning go hand-in-hand like we’ve conditioned our minds to think? Why have
we, as a society, determined that we need to hold out for some perfect,
manufactured setting we deem best before we can truly relax? How often have we
been guilty of thinking – when I go to the beach in a couple of weeks, when I
finally board that cruise ship, when I enter the spa this afternoon, or when I
drive up to the cabin in the mountains, that’s when I’ll finally be able to let
go and simply relax. I’m sure we’ve all thought something along those lines
before, and there’s nothing wrong with planning or setting aside time so we can
relax. But what if there’s more to relaxation than simply the destination? What
if it’s not about the where but is, instead, about the how? What if there’s an
art to relaxation, a method if you will? What if true relaxation is made up of
simple moments that aren’t constrained by our schedules?
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| A cruise ship from one of my parent's trips. (And, no, I've never been on a cruise.) |
I say this because I’ve been
stressed more than usual. This was Spring Break week in north Alabama and my
kids are staying with their grandparents who live nearly five hours away. I had
this week planned out, too. No kids equaled plenty of time to catch up on
household chores, to paint the wall in my son’s bedroom, to plant shrubs and
flowers in my flower beds, to sort through my kids outgrown clothes, to reseal
the grout in the tiled areas of my house, to work on my blog, to write another
chapter in my book…and technically the list goes on, but I won’t bore you with
any more of the details.
Needless to say, by Wednesday I
was nowhere near the point of tackling half the things I’d set out to do. So,
like a good Christian wife and mother...ahhh....Yeah right. Not me; instead, I did what I do best. I panicked. I
mentally freaked out for several hours. But guess what, life went on. Which
made me realize, that even though all those tasks are important, life does go
on whether I can accomplish them all or not. And one day, before I know it,
time will rob me of my youth and I will be unable to accomplish much of
anything due to age and physical limitations. Then, I’ll look back and wish I’d
enjoyed some moments along the way, made a few memories, and didn’t take life so
seriously. So, I determined, while I’m accomplishing my tasks each day, I’ll
also find a way to enjoy the simple things in life that are readily available.
The next day, as I washed dishes,
I glanced out my window and watched the cows grazing in the rolling field
behind our house. I love cows. It’s a love I’ve had since childhood when I had
the privilege of bottle-raising a calf. And guess what? In that moment, I found
myself relaxing a little while doing a chore.
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| Me bottle feeding Honey. |
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| Honey when she was old enough to be with the other cows. |
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| A photo op I took of some of the cows in the field behind my house. |
Later, I cleaned out the inside
of my car. I found mostly my kids’ stuff – toys, pieces of toys, hair ties, and
trash including a half-eaten corndog and a shriveled-up piece of a banana…ummm…Yuck!
But amongst the sorted piles, I took time to enjoy the sun’s warmth which was accompanied
by the ever-present blustery, springtime breeze. I even paid attention to the
sounds around me – the birds chirping, the bees buzzing by, the rustle of the
grass rippling in the brisk gusts. It was actually relaxing. That night, I
stood out on my back deck, tired and physically drained from a long day; but I
chose to glance upward and observe the majestic, star-filled sky. I relaxed in
the moment, knowing that the God who created something so spectacular also chose
to create me.
When I finally made it to bed a
couple of hours later, I read a chapter from a friend’s book I’ve been meaning
to finish, and my cat of nearly ten years curled up on top of me as usual. I
began to pet her out of habit but, instead, decided to notice the sensation of
her fur beneath my fingertips. I relaxed because this, my friend, is my happy
place – reading a book and being with my cat. If you didn’t already know, I’m a
cat person, always have been, always will be. I fully embrace the colloquial
term “Crazy Cat Lady.” That would be so me if I weren’t married to my wonderful
husband. He keeps my cat collecting habits in check. Just so you know, I
currently only have three – one inside and two outside.
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| Dixie Bryant |
This morning, after painting a
second coat of paint on my son’s wall, I sat down in front of the computer to
type this and indulged in the first sip of a piping hot cappuccino I’d made.
Wow! Life is always better after that first sip!
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| My favorite mug! |
So far, becoming lost in a moment
has made a significant impact on my overall view of life. Plus, being acutely
aware of the simple pleasures found while accomplishing a task has made all the
difference on my stress level throughout the day. So, I want to continually
allow myself to become lost in the moments, to smell the roses whenever the
opportunity presents itself. And I long to share these experiences with my
children so they too can learn the importance of embracing the simple things in
life. And hopefully, you’ll find ways to do the same.
We’re surrounded by a beautiful
world created by the One who loves us. He took the time to observe what He’d
accomplished after each day of creation so that He could determine if it was
good – that it would be the perfect environment for the creation He loved most
of all. So, why not plan our days, even plan our vacations, all the while
making sure to be aware of the little things – the things that will put a smile
on our faces or will provide a calming effect in the midst of our hectic, crazy
lives?
To the simple
pleasures,
Shauna
Williams
