As the pace of life has quickened this fall and I find myself more busy and more tired than I am comfortable with, I’ve been exploring the concept of “presence” and it relates to the quest for balance. Presence in the idea of being available (or present) to our things, people, and commitments that fil our lives. For most of us, I am convinced we are truly present to little in our lives, excusing real availability to allow for the multitude of “to-do’s” that fill our lives. I am pretty sure that most marriages fail due to the emotional and physical inavailability or one (or both) spouses. Children grow up to be less than whole human beings ofte because mom & dad were never around, and even if they were physically there, they were often mentally and emotionally elsewhere. Presence demands focus and undivided attention to the people and things dearest to us.
I am finding myself haunted by the reality than I can easily be present to little in my own life. I can go days and sometime weeks without really making myself available to God, to Kelli, or to my kids. To fight this I am intentionally wrestling with the concept of “presence” in the days ahead. As we head to the coast for a few days camping on the beach, I will no doubt have plenty of time to explore how I might develop a way of life back home that is more present to the things I am committed to. I want to keep track of my wrestlings and my learnings here for myself and for any others who might find some creative ideas to create presence in real life helpful. I will tag them with “presence”
Here’s some current things that help me be more present:
to the city: riding my bike instead of driving
to God: the daily offices (morning prayer, midday prayer, & evening prayer)
to Kelli: regular nights out without the kids, weekly time to talk family, schedule, and to pray together
to my kids: creating intentional times to listen about their day, what makes them happy and what makes them sad
to myself: working out, and being aware of imbalance & stress
I am excited to tackle this idea more. it’s alreay clear that there are direct correlations in my life between saying “no” to things, maintaining margin in my schedule, and being present to the things and people that are most important to me.
