Be Present

 Savoring simple daily pleasures

I am not a big Instagram (or any other social media) Scroller, but this little gem popped up on my feed yesterday and it really spoke to me. Not the statistics- as I imagine they are questionable, but the sentiment. And this applies if you have children, grandchildren, fur babies, a spouse or partner or live alone. 

This week I am the very proud Mama of a 16 year old, who has blossomed into a new found independence and maturity - seemingly over night, with the acquisition of a car, a learners license, and a job all in the space of a week!

My Baby Girl. Where have the years vanished?

This precious little dot is growing into a strident confident young woman. And it serves to remind me that all things change, in some way or another, things develop, progress, mature, pass, and if we are too busy with life- we miss it. Nothing ever remains truly the same. 

And we can apply, and should apply this to every element of our daily lives. The seasons, the weather, our homes, our gardens, our travel, our relationships. If we are too bust looking forward, searching the next thing, the item we need, the person we long for, the perfect.... (insert whatever it might be for you) We miss all the wonderous things that are right there in front of us now, today. 

We may not enjoy the wintry months, but we can enjoy pockets of what they uniquely provide and allow- cosy fires, twinkling lights, crisp frosty mornings, comforting stews and casseroles, warm scones, seasonal vegetables, our pets indoors more enjoying the warmth, feather duvets, warm throw blankets, skiing, - all of those magical things, those elements you do enjoy, even if perhaps sleet and windy train stations are not on your list, embrace and enjoy those you do love, and that do make that part of the year, season, week , special to you. That bring joy- even on a small level. These elements are not present in the other warmer months, those are what make you appreciate the warm sun, the spring bulbs, the longer days, the fresh asparagus, the sparkling sea, all the more. So don't wish them away.

Countless times when my girls were very young I was told "It'll go so fast", "Blink and you'll miss it", "you wait, they'll be teens soon" , " They'll be into your shoes and makeup in no time"..... They were right. They were so very right, and wise.  For all those bathtimes where I was on my knees I was so exhausted, all those broken nights sleep, all those clean ups of under the high chair and sticky fingers, all those bedtime stories, all those post bath snuggles, little visitors climbing into bed at the crack of dawn for a story- I should have savored them more. I should have rushed them less. 

We are in a new chapter now where most evenings I am the first in bed (Often shortly followed by my husband) and then we are visited by one then they other, sometimes with a cat or two in tow, sometimes the whole family are on the bed while I try to read, and while I very much may want to finish that chapter, turn out my light, get an extra half hours sleep as tomorrows a busy day: one day, I know,  I'll find I wont have visitors, they'll be busy out with friends, at university, or reading stories to their own cosy bundles. 

While we are in the depths of winter here in the Southern Hemisphere- and even I am getting a little tired of the persistent rain and soggy, un mow-able garden -on the other side of the world a lack of rain and searing temperatures keep me in check, remind me that our summer is coming, but the beauty and comfort of winter is here now, to enjoy, and savor. 

My walk today took me past my sheep friends and down a track where the long fallen autumn leaves were still so vibrant in colour, set off even more by such a dark gloomy day, yet Autumn is long behind us, it reminds us that these seasons, and these years, speed by. We need to remember to pause, savor and be present before they've gone, again.