This past weekend I picked up a Mary Oliver book at Fabeled Bookshop when my mamma and I were on our dream girls trip to Waco, TX. I’ll share more about our amazing trip soon, but today as I was reading slowly through her poetry and writing, these instructions for living life jumped out at me.
Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
Mary Oliver
I don’t know about you, but so often my weeks are spent living out of habit instead of intention. I wake up, get dressed, eat the same breakfast (two scrambled eggs, toast, and berries), go to work, come home, make dinner or meet up with family/friends, read a book, & go to bed only to start over again the next day. Suddenly it’s Friday and I wonder what in the world I did with my week that was worth telling about.
The days can feel mundane and monotonous if I don’t stop & pay attention. Life is not what happens one day when we “grow up” or “graduate” to the next stage of life. We are experiencing this beautiful and precious gift of life right now.
Each day brings the fresh start to begin anew, be present, and be astonished by the beauty.
- Crocus peeking through the newly uncovered soil.
- Robins strutting around in the morning looking for breakfast.
- Neighbors walking by and stopping to say hello.
- That particular shade of blue the sky turns only in the Spring.
- A gentle rain on your roof & knowing that it’s nourishing the ground.
- The smell of the first BBQ on a 50 degree Saturday in March.
Small and wonder-filled gifts of this season that we miss when we are just going through the motions.
Spring is the season of fresh starts and making time to notice.
The world is shifting and changing in front of our very eyes.
The snow melts and bulbs begin to peek through the soil. Barren trees come alive and bloom with color. The quiet hush of Winter is repreplaced with birdsong. A season of rest and coziness is replaced with the hardwork and hope of Spring.
Part of me wants to stay in my Winter cocoon. But, I know I would miss out on so much goodness if I chose safe & cozy over the fresh energy & new start of Springtime.
There are many good and beautiful things in this Season and yet, even good change can feel uncomfortable.
So my friend, if you find yourself waking up alongside the world around you and eager for a fresh start: stop, breathe, be present, and notice.
This life you are living right now is good, beautiful and true. Choose to see the goodness in this day and embrace the season you are living.
