“All those moments that came and went; little did I know that they were life”
– Stig Johansson
All of those days; all of those moments. Each of our lives are made up of seemingly inconsequential moments which ‘fill the space’ between all of the milestone moments. Most people are not strangers to waiting; waiting for the milestones in life, or to reach a certain destination. It is perfectly fine to look forward to the more momentous occasions, but, what if, the quality of a life could be measured not by the ‘big’, yet sporadic moments, but by all of the small moments that exist in every day?
What if, on our way to the big moments, we stopped at the small ones and took a look around for a moment? A chance to rest—to be still—for a small while during our journey. Perhaps we could consider that taking the time to appreciate all of the little moments, the simple gestures, and the little things, are what will truly sculpt the colour of our lives?
Life is all around us, and there are so many moments that are opportunities to appreciate the world, and by extension, our lives; we just need to take the time to notice. Sometimes these moments are right in front of us; sometimes we have to search a little, and other times, a lot. But they are always there.
These small, yet significant moments that make up our lives; they are everywhere.
the shape of the clouds, the raindrops pooling on leaves after rain, flowers of all kinds lining the streets
always showing us that even the simplest of gestures can mean so much
the way it allows the city to breathe,
how a walk in the pouring rain does wonders for cleansing the soul,
how the sound of the rain on the roof feels ineffably calming
how light can refract,
making the mundane briefly extraordinary
the way the sun shines onto something
illuminating it briefly,
yet mesmerisingly
in the sharing of food made with care, and the ritual of tea and coffee
The thing is: these moments are everywhere. We don’t need a special occasion to experience them, nor a particular reason to find an opportunity to observe them.
The little moments which make up our days—and, ultimately, our lives—can be found in even the unlikeliest of places. They will always be there, whether we choose to notice them or not.
Each time we notice and observe the world around us—life, as it is happening—we give ourselves an opportunity to pause, and experience the small wonders that surround us, and add them to the repository of all the little moments that make up our lives. But most of all, in noticing these moments, we are allowing ourselves to absorb a little more of the simple wonders around us that we call life. And I think that is a lovely thought.
So, every so often, pause: and sit with the fact you exist.
Those moments; they’re all around you.
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