Taking Time to Appreciate Autumn
Life. It gets busy doesn’t it?
Between the things we have to do, and the things we should do. Sometimes it is hard to just stop and take it all in.
Every day from the moment I wake up until right up until I go to sleep there are a hundred different tasks for me to do. Some days life is an endless task list. I move from one item to another, without really enjoying any of it.
Days slip into weeks, weeks into seasons.
I have been talking about fall for a while now, but had not really taken the time to appreciate it beyond a glimpse of a bank of trees turning golden and amber zipping by my car window as I am shuttling kids around to different sporting events, or the sound of crackling leaves underfoot as I carry groceries in.
I have a tendency to get caught up in the routine of daily life.
It’s easy to take the seasons for granted. We know summer fades, fall will deliver us into winter, and winter will give way to spring, that’s the way it is every year. This week I realized my favorite season was moving to quickly, and I was not even fully enjoying it because I was too busy.
A new meeting with a relative I had never met before, and an unexpected knock on the door from friends I have not seen in 3 years stopped me dead in my tracks. Both visits were brief, but I made a decision to be present and enjoy them to their fullest.
For a few days some things didn’t get done, and it was fine. Actually, it was kind of amazing.
Because here is what happened when I stopped being distracted by the million little mundane tasks that generally take up my day. I became aware.
I enjoyed lingering around the dinner table with my family and friends just chatting. While waiting for the bus with the kids instead of worrying about what I would be able to accomplish in the next 7 hours, I took in the beauty of the season which was gloriously on display, I even tweeted it 🙂
Waiting for the kids school bus #fall mornings don't get much better than this pic.twitter.com/v9KSgYaJ2G
— Jennifer Morrisey (@homeinFLX) October 14, 2014
I intentionally stopped moving through life and started savoring it.
I sat down the write this post for very selfish reasons, because I know I will need to be reminded of this in the future. But maybe you could use the reminder too.
Life marches on, the seasons continue their rotation. It is up to us to slow down and savor each and every moment. To notice the changing of the leaves, to delight in the company of old and new friendships, and spend less time being busy and more time just being.
Fall will come again next year, but these precious moments are fleeting. And when it comes to taking in the beauty of life, there’s no time like the present.
Do you struggle with slowing down too? Share in the comments!
