Thursday, October 17, 2013

{a few short of} 31 Days of Listening

 I'm noticeably absent from the blog, and as of now failing miserably at blogging for 31 consistent days. 

But can you blame me? Yesterday I got on a plane to London... To visit my best friend for 6 days. And we have a lot of catching up to do. I'm living in her house. Which is all kinds of awesome because just when you think you know someone, you listen in on their bedtime routine with the kiddos and hear the tender way she loves and builds then up when no one is looking (or listening... Or so she thought), creating a safe space for their day to end and offering them words of life and sweet thoughts to fall asleep to. And maybe there's something really endearing but equally hysterical that she does for these girls she loves at bedtime that probably no on else knows about. And you catch her in the act and laugh so hard together when she sees you in the hallway, that your pregnant self thinks maybe today will be the day you finally wet your pants. 

Yeah, so all that... And more... It's taking me away from moments of solitude and I'm saying hallelujah to that! The writing can wait. These moments? They can't. These kids I love like my own need me fully present and focused on them. I'm sealing them into my memory - Fallon, savvy, and jr, at this age here in London right now. Today is a gift and my return flight home already feels too close, and who knows if I'll get to come back again while they're still here. 

And my girl? She has so much to say. Words need to be spoken back and forth that cannot live in the space on these blog pages or in the meager emails and texts she and I send to keep in touch when we are apart. While we have breath and the space to speak our hearts out loud to each other face to face... This is all gold to me and I'm being stingy with it, hoarding it. Soaking in as much of it as I can. Not thinking about how to put to words what I might want to say, or what I think i have to say here in this space on the blog (or to anyone, really, anywhere). 

Just listening, observing, delighting, experiencing, memorizing, laughing, pondering, witnessing, helping, loving and living together this week. 

It's enough. 

How's that for simple?! ;)


1 comment:

kacey said...

Oh how did I miss this beauty? What happens in London... Oh, who am I kidding. Cuckoo, cuckoo. Thank you for your kind words. I see it as whatever gets them to sleep and you give me way too much credit. Love you with all I got.