Skip to main content

Savouring life.

Sometimes I wonder what it really means to live life in the moment. What it looks like to be present in the now without sharing ones attention with what has been or is to come. What does it feel like to be fully living what is being lived right in that moment, and would it be more joyous? Does joy come merely from what is being experienced right then, or is there a place where joy is also generated through the remembering and anticipating? And do events have to fit into one of the categories or is it possible that a single event could end up bringing life before and beyond it's moment?

Sometimes I think we forget the joy of the moment. So often we are watching life through the camera on our smartphones, and miss those unique moments,  where the simple act of taking a deep breath as you watch something like a beautiful sunset or someone smiling, brings a sense of amazement. Amazement which is uninterrupted by thoughts of how and who will "like" the photo. Amazement which is just yours. Just for a moment. There is something so precious about having moments that are just yours. And should you choose to share them, such a privilege to be the one with whom you choose to put to words what you have just captured. One selected amongst many to be the receiver of the experience rather then one of many who have seen it in passing as they scroll through their newsfeed.

And so as I continue to journey through this time of Summer, I want to be intentional about living in the moment. Intentional about seeing things not only through my phone, and keeping some of those glimpses for myself or shared with selected people who have time to appreciate the moment with me. And with that I expect to find joy; both in the anticipating, living, and remembering.

Popular posts from this blog

Finding pockets of life (and a bubble-tea metaphor).

“Where can I find life?” has been a question I have asked myself a lot recently (but really for years). And really the deeper question is: “What is life, and what does it look like?” I guess the simple answer is whatever makes you feel alive on the inside; that brings a smile to your face; and that gives you energy and increases your capacity. There are so many side-effects of burn-out; or maybe they are rather causes of burn-out, which when combined become a huge mountain that can topple even the strongest of people. But once you have been depleted of your capacity to stand in the face of the challenges around you, one of the things that can help increase your energy and capacity is finding pockets of life. (And of course a lot of other things like rest, exercise, patience when the process is slow, setting boundaries etc. but that’s for another blogpost). The past months I’ve been watching and searching and paying attention. Searching for choices that will bring life, and paying att
Read more

There was a before and there will be an after.

“Do you really think it will go over?” A question posed as I was chatting to someone over coffee this week (with distance of course). My immediate response was that yes, I really do think it will go over, but I don’t know when or what it will look like. I don’t know when we’ll be back to “normal.” But to be honest, I am not sure I really want things to go back to being as they were before ... The past seven weeks have been so very different. Social distancing, staying one meter away from others, having permanently dry hands from antibac and washing hands a lot, and having to limit most interaction with others to a screen, have become part of everyday life. And of course the distance and isolating part of this “normal” I have no desire of seeing become part of the after . But at the same time I see good growing in this time of crisis; good that I do want to bring into the after , and what will become my normal when this crisis comes to an end. Time. Whether we like it or not, o
Read more

Small moments that mean a lot

Walking home on the crunchy snow that lights up a December evening,  I felt so thankful. The revelation that fellowship and being together is the best gift you can give someone, and realising that although it might seem small, it can turn into something big when a person feels seen and valued.  Yesterday I helped out with a crafts workshop for a group of lovely women volunteering for Crux where I worked before (well, in all honesty: they were making angels while I ate Christmas cookies, Quality Street chocolate, and chatted). I love walking alongside people in conversation, and realise sharing life for 2 hours can last so much longer in value and experience.  This evening we had our Christmas dinner for volunteers and people who are part of my current job. It was a delightful evening with many nations gathered around the same table…. eating the same food… and for a few hours creating a small fellowship moment that will become a good memory for the future. Often in my job the focus is o
Read more