A few days ago I was rushing to work in the morning. The air was crisp and the world was quiet. The snow was still fresh on the trees and in the woods. Something about the quietness made me ease my foot off the accelerator pedal. That slowing down was a blessing. In a clearing close to the road, I espied a few deer playfully jumping around. I stopped the car and watched for a few minutes. The deer gave me a bored glance and continued with their frolicking. I have rarely felt so at peace in that stillness.
Those moments gave my day a whole new breath.
What I am trying to say is that we let so many such invaluable instances pass us by. We are all so busy trying finish exigent, compelling tasks that we forget the really important things of life. A leisurely cup of tea in the evening; a nice, proper, cooked breakfast in the morning; stopping at a friend's place to share a joke: these may not fit into our 'schedule for the day', but it is imperative that we learn to make time for such occasions. Let us stop making excuses for the way we live. It is not our lives that are demanding, we make ourselves slaves to every demand that comes our way.
Sitting at a bench near a lake, actually doing nothing, is probably one of the most constructive things you could do for yourself, especially if you do not have time for it! It makes you grateful for simple things like being able to sit, for having a lake around (or maybe for the car that took you there), for being able to breathe fresh air, and for having all your senses in working condition.
When you are lucky enough to talk to grandchildren, you will not talk about the times you were at work early or left late, or of the hours cleaning the floors of your home. What you will remember is the fun party you had, or a special sunset you saw, or the first taste of a new cuisine. Are you sure you have your priorities right when you ask your child to 'go play' and you spend time finishing the loads of laundry you will always have? Or when you skip that TV sit-down time with family because of the groceries you have to buy? What you can be sure of is a lost moment, a memory that might have been a source of joy for all involved. Even a rushed vacation is going to be nothing but a blur of photographs.
A moment not savoured is a moment lost. Add up these moments and you can see how much of your life you have not lived, and how much happiness you have squandered away.
So let us learn to seperate the precious from the pressing and give precedence to the precious things that give us solace.
I have read all your articles in the blog really enjoyed them especially the deer one it made me imagine as if for a minute i was there myself keep it up.
ReplyDeleteSabahat