This past week Tracey and I have been blessed with notes, comments, visits, food!, and a plethora of advice. The most common being:
"Enjoy all your time with her now. The first year goes by too fast."
Why is that? Our year is made up of ~ 31 million seconds, just like Audrey's. I'm sure you've noticed, and likely cringed at this fact. As we rack up the years, each season seems to pass more and more quickly. My young summers growing up in Rudd seemed to last forever.
I have already vowed not to complain about the sleepless nights. In fact, so far, I look forward to my seemingly drunken stumble into her room at 2 AM and peering over her crib to see her beautiful, elusive, dark blue eyes. I am making the most of my time with her... how do I make more of it?
There have been times that I can remember where time has seemingly and graciously braked to let me take my sweet time.
Nestled against a straw bale, watching the clouds pass with Dad as we break from some good ole' fashion farm work.
Kayaking in Tom Sawyer country on the mighty Mississip. (the rougher the water, the slower time passed! Don't worry Mom, I was wearing a life jacket.)
Road-tripping with my brother in the summers.
Backpacking through France after undergrad or Tracey and my's trip to Greece a few years ago.
The morning of our wedding.
And like I mentioned earlier... my young years up at Rudd. The younger, the longer.
A commonality that I have found with my 'slow time' is new and enjoyable experiences. It only makes sense that as we pass through life, which some view as cyclical, we repeat activities, we see the same things, "We've done it all". Some seek to escape this spiral by being thrill-seekers, others have their own Flow activities (basketball and cross-training does it for me). Well how about breaking this cycle without relying on an external stimulus?
If we cease to label and pre-judge everything we see, won't we be seeing everything again for the first time? The next time you pass by that pasture of cows, don't dismiss it as a just another pasture with cows. See it, enjoy it, all without judging it. Neither good, nor bad... just experience it.
My situation has given me a wonderful opportunity. Now that I have countless hours at all times of the day where I will be holding, swinging and watching this amazing little girl, I have no excuse not to take that time to practice my "just experience it". No thought, just a time of mental peace and silence. Pray. Meditate. Pure experience enjoyment.
Now, since you have been so patient in reading my blog, here is a bit of our experience from this past week. Enjoy!
For a more tacit update, Audrey and her mom are doing well. Audrey had a bit of jaundice so she and I spent a little time sunbathing on our deck. Her weight dropped a bit after birth, but has started to rebound and she is on track to gain it all back within a week. Right now she is sitting beside me on Couch (yes, our couch is its own specific entity and deserves to be capitalized) periodically checking on me to make sure I am still close enough to deliver the pacifier.
Just experience it!
Coach
Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the babies, but the same thing - slowing time, enjoying it all - has been on my mind!
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