Slow

Slow. 

Most of the time life is hurried. I remember when my daughter was younger, and I taught full time trying to juggle all the demands on my plate. Now mind you, this was with only one child, so I can only imagine how my friends with multiple children must have felt. 

Dinner was a quick and easy twenty minute throw together, checks were written for bills on the fly while heading out the door for work, and weekends were all about household chores, and laundry. I can honestly say I never had a moment to complain about being bored. 

Author Brooke McAlary has recently written the book Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World. She tells her own story of the changes she made to be more present in her life, and in the life of her children. Simple things like taking time to play hide and seek when asked by her girls have helped her prioritize what is really important. 

One of the turning points in her attitude toward her hurriedness was taking the time to write her eulogy. This is not a new idea, but might be a way to gage whether you are living the life you really want. 

I think, actually, that you should write at least two. Write the one that best describes your life today, and then the one you might wish you had lived. Which would you want published as a record of your time here on earth?

One of the adjustments I had to make after I retired was allowing myself to be okay with not always being busy. I wrote many extensive to-do lists to somehow justify not working full time. Now I think that might just have been me, because I see many of my retired teacher friends making an easier transition than I did.

I think more than anything life is about balance. Trying to find that sweet spot between doing too much, and not doing enough is probably the way to go. I must admit I am enjoying this "slow" time of my life.