words pour out of me
a river crashing into rocks
pushing firmly into the ground
to become
rooted
chapter two • slow it down
August literally came out of nowhere. How is it that the summer is coming to a dreadful close, and classes start in less than three weeks? *insert cry face here*
August is always a fast-paced month, in my opinion, because there’s literally SO MUCH that has to be done. Make sure you have school clothes. Make sure you have school supplies. Schedule last minute doctor, dentist, and anything else appointments. Make sure you are registered for your classes. Plus all of the little things that you do on a normal basis: go to work, or drag yourself to Walmart because your fridge is empty. And then you have the crap like noticing your past due on an oil change, and scrambling to find the time to go get it changed.
I don’t mind the busy season, though. It keeps me focused on the things that need to be done. But at the same time I tend to move so fast that I’m not even enjoying the little things anymore. Have you ever just went 100mph all day, and when you finally get home you barely remember any of your day. It zoomed by and you were so focused on whatever you needed to take care of that you really didn’t pay much attention to anything.
I pondered on that thought. It frightened me, because that’s life but not living.
It’s truly the little moments that you have to take advantage of and run with. Like how our weather has decided to not be unbearably hot for the last few days. I am proud to say I drove home yesterday with my windows down and my radio blaring and I didn’t even have to crank on the AC. I know. It’s awesome.
Last night my mom posted this picture on her Facebook. Of course I was sitting on the couch beside her practically jumping up and down with excitement. I mean, we did this shoot in Gulf Shores at 5 o’clock in the morning. If you know me AT ALL you know that I am SOOO not a morning person. So you can imagine how difficult of a task it was to smile, laugh, and twirl around in the water when a) I wasn’t awake yet, b) hadn’t had coffee or breakfast of any kind, and c) it was raining. While behind me looks extravagantly clear and sunny, the part of the beach I was standing on was below a pretty dark rain cloud.
Aside from all of that, I was pretty eager to see how the pictures turned out. It’s abundantly clear what a photographer genius my mother is. I mean, seriously, this picture is AHMAZING—I’m saying this is the most unbiased way possible. All I’m doing is standing there, not doing much at all. Mom picked the place, instructed me on what to do, and worked her magic. I am so proud and honored to get my pictures made by her. ❤
Okay, so as I was looking at the finished product before Mom posted it, I was simply in awe. I remembered how much I genuinely loved walking through the sand in that dress. The waves would wash up and soak the bottom of it against my legs, all the while my toes sank deeper into the sand and seashells brushed against the tops of my feet. Seagulls dove down from the sky and chirped loudly. The breeze was salty and the large bird, a crane I think, currently photographed behind me followed me up and down the shore.
I fell in love with it all.
When I started thinking about all the things, places, and people I’ve fallen in love with in the entire coarse of my twenty-one years of life, I couldn’t count them all on one hand. I fall in love on a daily basis—with a song, a band, a moment, a person, a specific day, nature, art, the ocean, etc…
Most people think that to “find love” you need to find it in that special person; a soulmate. I believe you can find love in anything if you’re paying close enough attention. How many times a day do you wish the day would be over with, that you would be in a better season of your life, or for the next year to be over with so you will have graduated college?
I don’t want to miss anything. I want to be present and here in every single moment. I want to fall in love on a daily basis. Today, it just so happened to be with a really good book I am reading. “When It’s Real” by Erin Watt.
I am teaching myself to slow down.
Look out the window and enjoy the view. Listen to the entire song, you know? Don’t skip ahead because the intro is too slow.
I used to hate songs that started out slow and by the end has you bobbing your head and clapping to the beat. But then I fell in love with The Lumineers. “Slow it Down” (the live version). The first time I heard this song was when I saw them live in Rogers, AR. I swayed around to the steady guitar playing, and by the end of the song I was completely speechless. My heart; my soul; every single part of me was affected.
I can still listen to that song now, and all those feelings come flooding back.
You never forget the first time you fall in love.
Slow down it down and soak up where you are right now. Enjoy every little part of it, even if for just a second, because nothing will be the same ever again. Life moves whether we want it to or not.
Fall love with as much as you possibly can.
Randi Garner 