Living in Slow Motion

Last night I went to bed at midnight and looked outside and saw the air filled with giant fluffy snowflakes falling softly to the ground. I got to experience the giant flakes again when I awoke in the morning. By 10:00 it was melting and the sun was peeking through. Then by 4:00 Gavin and I went out for what we like to call “snow walks” in those giant fluffy flakes.

Ever notice how calming snow is when it falls? When movies want to make something seem beautiful or something to ponder they put it into slow motion. A normal person walking down the road is made to be very sexy in slow motion. I often tell DeeAnn that if you want to do something important do it in slow motion.

This weekend I got to do something important. I sat on a snow covered hill overlooking a house and barn surrounded by trees. As I lay in the snow exhausted from sledding with Uncle Don, Gavin and Ethan. I watched my Uncle Don drive Gavin around in the snow on an ATV. As they raced down the driveway I sat very still and just watched the flakes falling. Warm in my snow gear I continued to embrace the view, and ponder the moments of my children full of excitement and joy flying down a snow covered hill. When somebody says to enjoy life I am not always sure what that means, but that day, that moment was surely one of those life moments. Visit www.flickr.com/photos/richanddeeann for the sledding adventures.

Can we have those slow motion moments more often? I think so, but it requires a deliberate action to move from normal motion to slow motion. I am not one to speak as I often find myself on fast forward simply to get to the good parts. I wish I could take back the many times I rushed things simply to get to the end. I have mentioned before in these ramblings that the journey to Jacksonville has been great in spite of an ending not yet written. Yet even with this journey I am prone to speed through it. I have covered much ground in the town and now I am having to seek out more subtle and off the normal path adventures.

When I go to the library I often feel frustrated as I am overwhelmed with how many books I would love to read and learn about. So instead of choosing one to read I go to the magazines and hit fast forward. From home building to current events I can glean a bit of everything without much time. I think to myself, one day after the kids are gone and I have more time I will begin the process of reading all those great books.

And so it has been with friends and family. I often think when I have more time I will work on my relationships and make them better. The problem is when do you turn around and realize that you fast forwarded and missed the slow motion bits. I have a phrase that I have used of late. “Take your friendship to a new level” This simple phrase is actually a frightening and overwhelming action. Why? Because it requires you to hit the slow motion button and embrace those moments that are often to easy to bypass. Admitting wrong, share a vulnerability without expectation, do something more than simply what is convenient, tell others who you really and trust that they will not run away.

I can only hope that the rest of the week giant fluffy snow flakes will fall.

Rich, DeeAnn, Gavin, Ethan, and Camden