Throughout the summer, I get to see this every time I open the back door. You might say “nothing spectacular.” But the reason I purchased that sign was to remind me that life is too short and that laughing and loving are things not to be taken lightly.
Recently, I lost a family member due to health complications. It felt so sudden, and I definitely wasn’t ready for him to go….mostly because I felt that I hadn’t given him the time and attention that I probably could’ve. I had started to take note and invite him to family events and gatherings, and I’d check in with him at church to see how he was doing. But when he passed, I couldn’t shake the sense of guilt I felt for not loving much.
These days, I tend to feel overwhelmed (many times) when I put my toddler down for a nap in the middle of the day. I know he needs it, but he doesn’t always agree. And some days I can leave him in his crib and he can go on and on, whining and complaining until I pull him out. Keep in mind, I work from home and I desperately await naptime.
But other days, he’ll just come close to me, and when I sense he’s ready (I don’t always get this quickly) I’ll just pick him up, wrap him in a blankie, and after a few seconds of cuddling, he’s asleep.
And all my frustrations seem to just disappear. Like my priorities just shifted from having “things to do” to enjoying this quiet moment.
I remind myself that these are opportunities to love much. Because they aren’t going to last.
So I guess the point of this ramble is, if you feel like you’re racing through life, every thing has its time and season….even the little things. Eccl. 3:1
