Evenings
Seven minutes of writing stream of conciousness begins now!
Evenings. When did they get so busy? When did they stop being a time to relax at the end of the day? Hmmm.... When did they? For me?
I think it was probably high school. It began with my desire to go to college. I took classes that were hard for me to make my transcript look better. That was back when applying to college didn't mean you'd get in. My evenings were filled with homework. I distinctly remember one evening, standing out in the driveway, not doing my homework, and feeling guilty. I was just enjoying the a moment of rest, of peace. Hmmm... It wasn't always that way.
When I was a kid, evenings meant playing outside until called for supper. After supper, I was back outside playing with the neighborhood kids until our moms called us in. Sometimes, we got to stay out after dark. Of course, we had to stay closer to home then. We'd play tag or hide and seek.
I remember watching the sun go down for the first time. I was at the end of the block looking over a huge field of sunflowers. (I was in Kansas, the sunflower state.) I was amazed at just how quickly the sun set in just minutes. I'd never seen the sun move before. Oh, yes, then there was the effort that we spent to see the first star. Star light star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight. Then the fireflies! Can't forget those.
Stop!
Okay, I'm going to break my rule now. I took the photo above this past Friday evening. We stayed at a farm in Kansas. We went away from the hustle and bustle and hid ourselves away to rest, spend time together and seek God. We stayed outside until the sun set and beyond. We did so the following evening. It was so peaceful. The evenings lasted so long. Why? Because we were present. We were paying attention to everything around us. We were still.
Well, that's enough rule breaking! I think I'll write about the weekend again later.
Have a present, focused, week,
Laura
Beautiful. I'm Australian, and we don't have fireflies. I saw my first ones when I was on holiday last year, and they are so magical!
ReplyDeleteI've heard folks say that the fireflies are dying off. I know we don't have as many bees as we used to. I wonder how much of that is that we don't spend as much time outside as when we were kids.
DeleteThanks for writing back Sharon!
I try really hard now to stop my day about 3 0r 4 and just do nothing. As in read or rest and watch TV.
ReplyDeleteI love that idea. I currently am scheduled to get off work at 4:00. I actually get off between 4:30 and 5:00 most nights. In a few weeks, my schedule will be changed to 6:30 am to 3:00 pm. I don't know if I'm going to like adjusting to the new schedule, but I will have more time to meet with a friend or two after work. That will be nice. I've truly missed my friends since I began working.
DeleteBless you!
Laura
It's actually much harder to get into college now than it was when we went!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I suppose it depends on where you're applying. Some of the colleges near where I live seem more interested in getting your money than being choosy.
DeleteYour time at the farm sound so restorative! Thank you for sharing this gentle moment - it encouraged me to slow down and savor my own evenings a little more.
ReplyDelete