Tuesdays With Auntie Hope

Today, not only did Auntie hope *not* tell the same two stories, she said something she's never said before: "Do you see that vase over there? I bought it because it reminded me of my mother - tall, clean, straight, no-nonsense and pure."

I must admit that I've never looked at a vase and thought, "That reminds me of so-and-so." All the same, I was touched by Auntie Hope's observation. It made me realise how little I observe anything, partly because I'm always busy. It's not that I have too much on my calendar; but I find that if I have free time, I usually fill it with tasks - baking a special treat for breakfast, trimming plants, cleaning something I never manage to clean on a regular basis, doing something with one of the kids. I never just sit. Or observe.

Older people seem to have a lot more free time. Maybe it's because they're too wise to fill every spare second with work. Maybe it's because it's their time to slow down. Whatever the reason, they seem better equipped to just sit and be at ease. And I think they notice a lot of things that we miss.

I think I'm going to try to just sit for five minutes each day - not in front of a computer, not with a book in my hand, not with any other distraction. I'll let you know how it goes.. or if I last more than a day or two!