Intentional Living

Waking up…

The green and gray of the woods outside the window are soggy and still this morning. It’s my favorite kind of Saturday. The forecast calls for rain all day and into tomorrow. This weekend will not demand my participation. I’m on my own with a cup of coffee, a warm blanket, and my wandering thoughts. After months of upheaval, the elements of our lives are beginning to settle into new patterns. We are entering this season with new clarity. In the wake of life’s challenges, we have made decisions about what matters now.
In the quiet after our summer storms, I am finding joy in the simple rhythms of my life. I am savoring the quiet, simple things that I’ve missed in the rush of busyness. We are slowing down, and leaning into our home and our people. We are staying in and cooking from scratch, scheduling time with family and friends, and enjoying lots of unscheduled time together. We are waking up to the beauty of our lives.
I am realizing that the pace of my life over the past few years has strained things that matter to me. Relationships have worn thin for lack of time and attention. I am making time regularly to reconnect and restore the ties that bind. I’ve also realized that busyness has robbed me of solitude and silence, which are vital to my soul’s health. I am a true introvert in need of great spaces of quiet to rest and restore.
In this new season, I am savoring the simple things that bring me joy. These tiny slivers of life are so easy to overlook. There isn’t a day in the past few decades that my morning hasn’t started with a cup of coffee, but that doesn’t mean I slowed down enough to savor it and recognize the simple joy it brings. Often I run through my day on autopilot just doing the next thing, never acknowledging or registering the simple moments that could, if I let them, bring me joy.
This October, I’ve joined a project to write every day in October.  I want to use this time to focus my attention on the small moments we easily overlook in the hustle and rush of our lives. As I slow down and regain my footing, it is the quiet beauty of everyday life I realize I’ve missed. I hope you will join me as I commit to savoring the simple things…
simplethings  This is part of the Write 31 Days challenge. Click here to follow along.

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