Are We Wishing Away Time?

 

I’m excited to welcome my friend, Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times best-selling author, educator, and mom.  She’s been sharing her own journey of quieting her inner bully, slowing down, and living hands free.  Her past books include Hands Free Mama* and Hands Free Life*.  Her newest book, Only Love Today* shares “Reminders to Breathe More, Stress Less, and Choose Love”.  (*affiliate links)

Today, she shares a special message, reminding us to savor each day.

Here’s Rachel:

Wishing Away Time

I vividly remember the day I stopped wishing away time. 

My daughter had just picked a dandelion and was studying it intently. 

“If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?” I asked curiously anticipating what my then four-year-old daughter would say. I expected her response to involve seashells, princesses, cotton candy, or Toy Story characters. But what she said left me speechless and a bit enamored with her.

“Picking dandelions with you,” she replied without a moment’s hesitation.

Out of any place in the world she could dream of being, my child chose to be right where she was in that very moment.

As my eyes filled with tears, I could recall too many unsettling lines that had come from my lips…

“I can’t wait for school to start.”

“I wish the warmer weather would finally get here.”

“When is it going to be Friday? This week is killing me.”

“Once I get through this busy month, we’ll do something fun as a family.”

“I look forward to the day she stops sucking her thumb.”

To put it bluntly, I wished time away.

Because in this fast-paced, task-driven world, slowing down takes deliberate effort. Allowing myself to simply be in the moment at hand is a rare and beautiful gift. 

How easily I forget there is no guarantee tomorrow will even come. Or that tomorrow will be as wonderful as it is today.

Today, I have my health, my happiness, and my security. But there will come a day when perhaps I won’t. Why ask for that heartbreaking day to be here any sooner?

Thanks to the wisdom of child and the beauty of a dandelion, things are different now. Instead of wishing time away, I find myself praying time would stand still so I could savor the present just a little more. 

 

ONLY LOVE TODAY is Rachel Macy Stafford’s latest book filled with soul-building words and life-changing intentions. With a unique flip-open, read-anytime/anywhere format, this beautiful book is designed to help busy people stay anchored in love despite everyday distractions, pressures, and discord. ONLY LOVE TODAY began as a mantra to overcome her inner bully, but it is now the practice of Rachel’s life. It can be yours too. Click this affiliate link to order ONLY LOVE TODAY which recently earned coveted spots on USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists!