If you know anything about me you will know that the above phrase is not characteristic of me. Not everyone lives at my “drum beat” however so it’s good to get a taste of someone else’s world every once in a while. This week we stepped out of the normal pace of life and lived a beautiful day where nothing had to be accomplished.
Toddlers may seem quick when they’re headed for the street or getting into trouble, but if you’re just taking a walk they go slow enough for you take notice and appreciate many things along the way. Connor and I watched a truck come and gather brush trimmings from the roadside, stopped to watch the birds, found a neat stick, laughed at a squirrel, and finally found wonder in making it to the playground! How many adults do you know that can happily climb up and down the levels of a playground for half an hour and not even go down the slide? We also explored the beach. Connor wasn’t so sure about the water until I showed him how to splash – boy was that fun! Next we tried sandcastles; I made ‘em, Conner knocked ‘em down. We threw rocks at the waves, and walked around as he got slower and slower. Finally he fell asleep in my arms as I carried him home. What a morning.
This afternoon I learned to slow down and listen as my grandma tried to remember and tell stories from her school days. She went through a repertoire of ‘bus songs” and relived favorite playground games.
Tomorrow morning I will go “jogging’ with my grandpa. He used to be a marathon runner – now it will take us about 45 minutes to go two miles. Again, it’s not the exercise that’s the point but the fellowship (not that I wanted to get my heart rate up at 3:00am anyway). I look forward to our runs together because it gives us time to talk and solve world problems. That’s why I get up at such an unreal hour, I want to take part in someone else’s life and to do that I have to get out of my own.
*edit* anyone wanting to take part in my life can come watch my triathlon next Sunday, April 30th 9:00am at Lake Bryan. (or meet me at the finish line sometime after 10:00)
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