I am a big fan
of the overlooked, underrated aspects of life—useless things like sitting out
on my deck on a sunny winter day with a cup of warm chai; waking in the morning
just in time for sunrise; or spending a candle lit evening enjoying the warmth
of my woodstove or a drink with my friends.
Easily
entertained? Maybe. However, what I’ve become more aware of is that these
experiences are deeply nurturing, fulfilling and therefore, in my opinion, necessary.
They serve an important role in my life provided I slow down long enough to
partake and reap the benefits.
And therein lies
the rub. Many people live lives that squeeze these tender moments out—no time
for such frivolity—but I say being deeply nurtured and fulfilled can hardly be
considered frivolity in view of the increasing prevalence of depression and
other maladies of dis-ease in society today.
In all fairness
my freedom does come at a price—I’ve had to radically downsize, revise
expectations and re-organize my life—I recognize we all have diverse and
challenging circumstances to navigate. However, when we truly risk engaging our
imaginations in re-designing our lives, we stand a much better chance of
locating saner options for living and enjoying them.
For me,
particularly as a writer, sitting on my deck in a chaise goes far. It creates space
for the world to reveal its complex beauty, for experiencing transcendent, unexpected
moments of insight and just being aware of how very alive I am as part of it
all.
This is it.
Why settle for a
substitute life?
