I feel as if my life is a race.
“On your mark, get set, GO!” the voices scream.
So many races all running at the same time in so many different directions. Sometimes I feel as though I’m standing, unmoving on the median with multilane highways in every direction, wondering where on earth I’m supposed to be headed.
I read a book last year called Tranquility by Tuesday and one of things she talked about was setting aside time for deliberate things to enjoy, like small adventures. She posits that the reason why life seems like it moves so fast is because of its routine nature. If we plan adventures, we remember our lives rather than just get through them. It gives us ways to mark the time.
At holidays we usually take a family picture. When the kids were younger we cared about cute clothes and how we all looked. But as we get older my sister says we are just marking the day. I’m not all that fond of how I look in pictures right now, but my hope is that someday I’ll be glad I was in those photos, that I was present, that I was there.
Last week we went to tea with friends. It was a British tea experience about an hour away. Having done it before, I really thought my husband and friends would enjoy it. So I made the reservation and then delt with the logistics (though minor) surrounding it. When the time came, it was a fairly busy weekend but I was still so glad we had planned our adventure. It would have been easy to skip it and I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much and had so much fun that I forgot the time for a while.
We can mark the time without life feeling routine. We can plan adventures, large and small, that make the journey feel purposeful. Celebration, even in small ways, helps intentionality win over automation.
If you enjoyed this Five Minute Friday post, check out the other people free writing on the word MARK
Leave a Comment