Usually, this time of year is one of reflection for me. I’m busy planning for the year ahead and trying hard to forget all the broken promises to myself during the year. However, since I stopped making resolutions and started with the Word Of Year, my feelings of guilt are less.
In the past, if you asked me what gift I’d like to receive, I’d say more time. More time to accomplish the many things I’d like to do, not in the least work on improving myself!
This year, certain experiences through the year have made me wiser. So if I could receive one gift, it would not be the gift of time. Rather it would be the gift of appreciation of the time I already have.
I’d like to make every moment count. I’d like to be more, rather than do more. I’d like to connect more deeply with people. Listen more closely. Read with more pleasure. Write with more passion. Do every thing more intentionally. And believe me, I’ve started working on this already. I can see it making a difference within me.
When I read this poem recently, I realized that it sums up what I’m wishing to be – a slow dancer – someone who appreciates every moment of life!
Slow Dance
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.”
I’m learning to slow dance. It’s a process. Would you like to join me?
Today we start the 5th round of the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and our prompt for December is ‘If could give/receive one gift….‘. Shalini, Parul and I thank you for your participation!
I received the tag from Parul of Happiness and Food and it’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Shilpa Garg of A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose. There are 25 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 6, 7, 8 December 2019. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be surprised!
Day 1
| Parul | Happiness and Food |
| Corinne | The Frangipani Creative |
| Shilpa Garg | A Rose is A Rose Is A Rose |
| Leo | A Bookworm’s Musing |
| Jyothi Nair | My Bucket List Diary |
| Esha M Dutta | My Soul Talks |
| Menaka Bharathi | Simple Indian Mom |
| Reema D’Souza | The Write World |
Day 2
| Keerthi Vydyula | Thoughts Thru Lens |
| Shalini | Shalzmojo |
| Apeksha Rao | Apeksha Rao |
| Nikita Dudani | Aakruti |
| Pragya Bhatt | Yoga With Pragya |
| Anjana | Myriad Musings |
| Geethica | Thoughts by Geethica |
| Pragnya Mishra | Life With My Penguin |
Day 3
| Fantastic feathers | Fantastic Feathers |
| Sunita Saldhana | Sunita Saldhana |
| The vagabond | The Vagabond |
| Monika | Mera Lifestyle |
| Isheita | I C Dreams |
| Shilpa | Fictionista |
| Geetanjali | Of This That And More |
| Tulika | Obsessive Mom |
That poem makes so much sense, especially since I’m seeing my kids grow up so fast. I’m already missing all the cute little things they used do and say, and I wish I had enjoyed those moments more. Lovely post, Corinne.
I love this poem. It makes so much sense. When you have been on the brink of a break down, you realise how important it is to just take each moment and savour it. And that is exactly what I am doing now. Savouring life in every moment.
I will take this to heart. Breathe. And appreciate. Thank you for this gift.
I love this poem! Slow down and enjoy the moments you have. Brilliant post, Corinne!
Reminds me of a poem given to me years ago when my littles were . . . little…
“The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.”
Stopping for a moment lets you enjoy the beauty of life and its existence. Very beautiful poem with such deep meaning.
I agree that deciding word of the year gives less tension than any other resolution.
I don’t know how I missed wordsmatter this time.
It’s a beautiful poem. I remember reading it few years back. A wonderful reminder for us to slow down and enjoy life.
A really beautiful poem, one we need to remember as we think of the changes we ought to make in ourselves!
Slow down, take every moment as it comes, enjoy the moment instead of thinking of the morrow. Things I keep reminding myself. 🙂
What a lovely poem and what an intention to set for the year, for your ‘being’! I love this — not about more time, but about the time we have 🙂
you always make me think & feel deeper – Thank you!
Appreciating the now is not a forte of most people. Making it the focus is not easy and I commend you on doing it. More power to you for this Corinne.
Loved the poem and I must thank you guys for hosting such a wonderful bloghop – its been a real pleasure to be a part of this 🙂
I completely agree with you. We are too caught up with the many things that we ought to do that we don’t have the time to appreciate the time that we have. I love that poem. I think I need to read it regularly in order to remind myself to take things slow sometimes. Thank you for this wonderful post.
Reema D’souza recently posted…The gift of time #WordsMatter
That’s is such a deep and beautiful poem. A reminder to make the most of the moment leaving the what-ifs and worries away.
Pragnya Mishra recently posted…Choosing Intentional Life #WordsMatter
Beautiful poem Corinne. We should read this often and be mindful for the things around us.
ooooo I’d like to write with more passion and read with more pleasure too!!!
That’s a wonderful thought, C. We often forget to appreciate the present while looking at the past and the future. That appreciation is important too without question! In the words of Master Oogway, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.” Here’s to opening that gift every day. 🙂
Leo recently posted…Musings: Of Bookish Gifts… #WordsMatter
That’s a beautiful poem Corinne. It makes sense and if there are regrets and a lot at that, it is about spending my time with those who don’t appreciate it. Glad, I understood it before the year ends.
I need to appreciate my time to make others see it. I will note down this poem. Bookmarking this page. I’ll need this one often. You have awesome prompts. I enjoy reading this blog train. Happy weekend!
This is such a beautiful poem with a message that we need to follow religiously. We need to realize that happiness is not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour. True, life isn’t a race, so take it slower, hear the music before your song is over. Thanks for this reminder, Corinne.
Your thoughts resonate very closely to what I’m thinking these days, Corinne! I’ve had some life-changing revelations in the last two years that has made me look at life in a very different way. Living for a future that I cannot see today does not make sense any longer. Life is to be lived here and now. That’s why resolutions no longer work and neither do I drive myself crazy trying to “fix” things. Acceptance of what I cannot change and live in the present has dramatically altered my vision. Loved the poem you shared. What a beautiful reminder for all of us!!
That’s a beautiful poem and I love the thought Corinne. We need to make the most of the time we have. This fact was brought home to me during the kids’ half yearly exams. We were crazily caught up and didn’t have even a minute to spare – that’s the time I decided that when exams end I’ll make sure we’d do something special together every weekend rather than letting them just pass. Since then we watch films, cook together, or we walk down to a paani puri wala and treat ourselves. It’s been fun.
“Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?”
This has happened so many times in my life and is one of my biggest regrets. I had my reasons, but those reasons don’t mean anything now.
I now appreciate the time I have and try and do things that really matter.