Feeling the pull.

Life has been amazing lately. One friend posted on Facebook recently that her life has two speeds: crazy and insane. Completely agree.

So today, this beautiful, perfect May day, I put the little guy down for an overdue nap, poured a cup of coffee, and slipped outside to sit on our front porch. There was a pretty constant pull of, “But I should be doing this instead,” but do you know what happened? I took slow, deep breaths. I watched two robins play in our front yard while Todd Helton the Cat twitched and chattered next to me. I listened to the new leaves on our aspen trees rustle. And I took off my jacket, leaned back a little, and settled into that sweet spot of spring with my happy butt sitting on cool concrete and my skin warming up under the afternoon sun. 

I haven’t pressed myself into that place in a while. We’ve been going at insane speed. 

As i thought about it, I realized very clearly that our boys try to show me that place every day. As they’ve peppered us with questions such as, “Is the moon flying,” we’ve been firing back “Just a minute” and “Can we talk about it later?” 

Well. That just won’t do.

My scouting assistant and I checked out a new spot for photo shoots this week. What I thought would be a quick look-see turned into adventure.

He saw a sign with a drawing of a snake on it (to show snake habitats), and the search was on.

We searched high and low for them.

That was a suspicious spot, there.

I thought we’d found one for sure, but no. At this point, he had worked himself up into a bit of a frenzy and told me that we should hold hands and walk together. 

We found ourselves in a very different place within minutes, and there were ants and bugs and nooks and crannies. 

I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever convince him to leave.

Children have an amazing way of reminding us that there is something awesome around every corner. Whenever I feel doubt about that, or anxious or lost in wondering, he says things like, “It sure is a beautiful day!”

We ended up walking a little over two miles that day, not really meaning to, and only because we couldn’t resist the next corner.

The world is a curious place, indeed.

Isn’t it amazing that so much of what we’re looking for is right there, so close to us, if we’d just take long, slow breaths and invite it in?

I took some time out for life.

James L. Brooks

Have you, lately?

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