Linger - I’ve always loved the word, full of unhurriedness and rest. It’s the invitation that always stays open, but we rarely accept. Where is there space for interruption in the thick of moming, wifeing, business owning, friending, familying? The to-dos keep growing and time doesn’t expand alongside it so we push and push - better alone, we convince ourselves, because we know it’ll get done. And how satisfying is that crossing off of a list?
This very local life reminds me everyday that interruptions aren’t efficient, but community isn’t meant to be. A quick drop off at the printer and I’m soon meeting the grandbaby while chatting about generational transitions, a quick walking of the dog and I’m now fully invested in a neighbor’s video footage of the bear in his yard, a quick hello at the shop and we’re swapping stories about rediscovering oneself again after giving birth. Choosing to invest and belong is an unhurried practice because human connection was never meant to be measured by time. So maybe this week, we agree to a longer lunch, an evening stroll, an extended chat over Trader Joe’s carts. I’ll be there with you, too, clutching less tightly to my to-do list.
To together,
Pat
