There are many quotes from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, that I would love to include in my Book of Hours. The above snippet is from one of my favourite passages.
A few sentences later, he writes:
“The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
Through my latest creative endeavours, including this scribble project, and even my massive tidying extravaganza, I have been paying more attention to my daily life. I am becoming more and more aware of what parts of my life that bring me joy. I am paying attention to what makes life a little more “elastic, starry, and immortal.”
What makes life a little more expansive in my daily life? What stretches me enough that I can touch the eternal?
My short list:
– Early rising
– Sunrises and coffee with Ever-Patient
– Morning Pages (stream of consciousness writing/prayer/gratitude)
– Solitude/Meditation
– Reading inspiring books and blogs
– Movement: yoga, sprinting on the beach or practicing handstands
– Writing and creating art
– Undivided attention to my children through playing sports with them or made-up games or lego or reading to them or just listening to their ideas and dreams
– Dancing in the car or in the living room
– Beach or pool time with family and friends
– Discarding/letting go of stuff that has served its purpose
– Early bedtimes
As I think ahead to my upcoming homeschooling year, I don’t want to fall victim to routine and lose the magic of our summer days where we are more adventurous and open to the day. When my daughter was little, I would ask her what she wanted to do and she would say, “Let’s see where the wind will take us.” I want to hold on to that freedom of spirit but also present exciting and beautiful lessons.
As I meditate and reflect on each child before the meat-and-potatoes of planning begins, I visualize them as stars in their own right. Points of light that I need to connect to make a new family constellation for the year. Stars that have their own size, glow, and hue. How can I make them all shine brightly and paint a sky where each of them can help each other shine?
I also need to make room for the little things that I have incorporated into my day as a means to care for myself. Where will these scribbles lead? Will I be doing them daily still? Or will this transform into something else for me?
For now, I will leave these questions right here. I will simply be grateful for the “success” of my days right now because they are so sweet and rich with small joys. Even when the day is full of to-dos and the busy-ness of life, if I tend to it with my own recipe, adding the ingredients in the in-between moments – in the car, waiting in line, at the end of the night instead of the beginning – then it is “a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
***
100 scribbles…hurriedly writing the here and now.
#100scribbles
Leave a Reply