One of my favorite memories from childhood is from a summer long ago.  I have no idea how old I was, 7, I think?  My brother, sister, and I were at a friend’s house and had just finished playing in their pool.  We were on our beach towels that we had laid out in the grass, shaded by tall pine trees.  I had a little mermaid towel and I was pretending I was her.  I remember as I laid there the sound of the breeze swishing through the trees and the warmth of the air.  We later had fresh berries and homemade lemonade popsicles to eat.  At one point we all just sat there in silence, soaking it all in…just enjoying life in that moment, in all its glory.  I love looking back on this memory and visit it often.  The carefree lifestyle of childhood.

Now I’m an adult.  Life, kids, work, and responsibilities are endless.   Life was much slower then and there’s no going back now.  Or is there?  Obviously, there is no going back to childhood, but what if I could still create even more of those beautiful, idyllic memories in life as it is right now, even with all its complicated messiness that comes with adulthood?

In thinking back to that memory, no smartphones were to be found.  We were grounded with all our senses, soaking in the moment because there was nothing there to distract us. Somewhere along the way, between endless to-do lists and the constant pull to my phone, I have lost the art of slowing down and living in the moment.

Thinking about all this has me wondering – what would life look like if we unplugged, not just once in a while, but more and more every day?  What if we embraced the here and now instead of constantly wishing it away? What if we found a small piece of joy every day and stopped for 10 minutes to literally just sit and take it all in?  When you’re soaking in those moments, what sounds do you hear, what do you see, what do you taste or feel?

As the summer is wrapping up, I want to focus more on pausing, slowing down the moments and soaking them in. Life is far from perfect right now and I’m in a place of unrest, but I don’t want to waste my days wishing this time away while I wait for the next thing. I want to embrace and enjoy the beauty and blessings that God has provided right in front of me. The giggles of my little ones, the sound of birds in the trees, the taste of fresh juicy cherries, and the warmth of the sun on my face.

So, in the honor of slowing down, here’s a little toast to the end of summer, to the memories we make, and the friends and family we share it with, both near and far.

Much Love,

Cami