One Beautiful Life

Slowin Down... 

I was flipping though a magazine years ago and there was a picture of a couple sitting on a swing on the edge of their dock and  it facing out towards the water.  So they would swing out over the water.  I knew I wanted that one day.  So when we had this swing made, I knew exactly where I wanted it.  And you would not believe how many of our renters have a cow about it.  Really?  We actually have to turn it around a face it towards the end of the cove for renters.  And THEN they are happy.  LOL  Kills me.  People can so kill me how they just can't handle anything outside the box.

Anyway, when we are there, this little swing is a great spot to retreat to for moments of nothing.  Just sitting... swinging... and thinking.  Watching the boats go by, watching the sun set, watching the fish jump.  Just calm, peace, and slow.   THAT is what I need so much more of in my life.

School is out.  Summer has arrived.  And everyday seems to be packed with stuff to do and places to go.  I HATE IT.  I hate living life at this pace.  And yet, I can't seem to get out of the grip of it.  Children are asking... will you take me here, can we go there, can you do this, can we do that, what are we doing today, can we, can we, can we?  I find myself hanging on the wall with my fingernails like a cat on a tree.  In my mind anyway.  Can't we just wake up and BE?  Can't you just play?  Can't we just flow?  Can't we just rest?

Then, my precious husband, who is a goer, adds in his requests and I feel like the bad guy.  If there is a little stretch of days without something on the calendar, he is coming up with ideas of what we can do with it.  Want to go to the lake? (I know, big problem to have!)  Want to go to Stone Mountain?  Want to go?  Want to go?  And most of the time... I don't.  We have an 8 day trip coming up next week.  Taylor's sister is coming from Latvia after that, for five weeks, and then we are off to Virginia for my brother's wedding in July.  Then Don and I may have the opportunity to have a week together without the kids in August.  I am sure we will get to the lake once if not twice in there and THAT is enough for me.

On top of all of that is praise practice and teaching Sunday school and missions meetings and doctor appointments and therapy appointments and dentist appointments and massage appointments and advocating for children and tending a garden and maintaining a house and worship and Fourth of July events and the pool and play dates and youth events and and and and and and and...................................

What if there was time to actually paint a piece of furniture?  Or scrap book our trip to the beach or the surprise trip to Disney?  Or what if we got to sleep in and take lots of naps and enjoy the slowness?

How can I slow down our life when it overfloweth with this stuff?  I don't know.  But I am praying it will come to me.  Maybe we can make a challenge of 20 days of nothing!  LOL

Maybe I need to get away for a week by myself and do NOTHING and hopefully get recharged to jump back into all the madness.  Does anyone else find themselves just longing to sit all day in a swing facing the water?  Does anyone else feel every day is packed to the top with stuff to do?  Is that the way we were meant to live?  I do not think so.

I will ponder.  In the mean time, I need to find another 20 items to remove from our home.  I have given up on the idea that it needed to be 20 days in a row.  It will be 20 days of purging.  But it may take 40!  ha ha
So hopefully day 7 will arrive today and we will have less stuff.  And thank you for letting me vent.  I do feel a tab bit better!  And if you have ways you clear the calendar, protect time, enjoy some slow moments... please share!

Much love, Dawn