Stories Collected While Living in France
such truth is exposed
how busy we can be….
chasing after happiness.
running around in a circle and calling it living.
how often do you hear if only I had time.
as if being busy doing
means being who you are.
How often do you see the make-believing
that we have all the time in the world?
Where do you stand … where does you heart bleed …
where do you
hold the crown of life
you have been given?
Right now illness is all around me with my aging parents. My heart feels like it is breaking constantly. I need to take time to stop and just enjoy special moments with them and not concentrate on their sickness. I love them dearly.
Take care,
Connie
Yes it is true I see people zooming on through their lives at an accelerated pace as if being very busy makes it all worth while, me I dream and take time to smell every single rose………..
Life is not about increasing the speed and rapidly reaching the finish line!
Love you
Jeanne
I’ve been make believing for a long time.
Now there’s someone who let’s me be real…and happy.
Amen Corey amen … this is an important theme in my life to always have time… sometimes I wonder if I am lazy when I see friends swirling around me.
Procrastination, it’s so easy to fall into… The state of mind. Busy can be an easy excuse thank you for reminding me to LIVE.
“How often do you see the make-believing that we have all the time in the world?” i keep trying to convince my husband to not work so much… thank you for the reminder for me to do the same. we’re heading for the snow this weekend… i will thoroughly enjoy watching the moon making the snow sparkle. and i’ll think of you! 🙂
your beautifully written words speak for themselves…well done!!!
Oh that’s it she holds the crown of life! Beautiful!
I’m off now in my holidays and I wish you the best Easter ever!
Well, seeing that meanwhile you get 40 comments on one post I don’t think I’ll be missed very much lol
beautiful words to share a very real truth. I was listening to the radio yesterday on my way to work and Mitch Albom was being interview. The play “Tuesdays with Morrie” is going to be played at a theater in Seattle. He was sharing those same words… You have to choose the way you spend your time.
Oh this was so lovely on so many levels. Thank you for the beautiful reminder to slow down and embrace this beautiful life we’ve been given.
Excellent Corey.
a.
Lovely, lyrical eye poem, Corey! One thing I’ve learned over the years is not to take even a moment for granted and to appreciate what’s around me. When I was in my ’20s and early ’30s, I was living like John Leonard once described the Romans, “in a rage to see and do everything, always making too many appointments with the mysteries.” These days I try to live my life more like the Greeks, in harmony and scale with a day of indulgence followed by a day of moderation. Finding the balance is the key!
Yes, I often feel as if the world run’s me rather than the other way around… Thank you for reminding us that we need to stop, pause, and hold onto life gently. (I just love your treasure filled jars!)
Wonderful image and words! Thanks for the reminder: if a person stands for nothing, they will lie down for anything. (not the exact quote) Which is so very sad; so many wildfires to put out these days!
I think that it is very difficult to be well balanced. My work is my life, and that consumes me. To the point that I feel I have no time to pick up a book, or knitting needle, or go for a lazy walk.
I work from home and feel a pang of guilt knowing that my husband works for someone else and really has no choice. So part of me feels obligated to really be pushing myself and not taking a minute of the day for granted. I have started to become more aware of my “obsession” lately, and am working hard to also have a moment or two to stop and wander through the garden and prune the roses, or have a cup of tea with a friend.
Oh, I love your little confessional here today!
I will take this one with me- to meditate on for a while. No easy answers here. I lost my job in September of last year and have been on a journey of sorts since. To find my soul back. To figure out what life is really all about. One large moment at a time… trying to lay it down. Is this a mid-life crisis? I think of it as coming into myself and who I was meant to be. You know the one… the story of the talents…
Life is too short and there is too much hope and beauty to take any other path. One small moment at a time.
You are a gift! Thank you.
I think living in Switzerland made me realize how important the little things were in life. Like smells the roses, watching plants, flowers and vines grow. And taking photos each and every month of our lives.
I realized every day is important and I’m glad I did because working and not enjoying my life would have been a bad thing! Although I do wish I did have 5 wks vacation again… One day I hope.
Just thought I’d take a moment to be serious and say that I’m just loving your blog. Your photos are incredibly evocative. I know you have words, too (I’ve read some and enjoyed them! 🙂 but the images are totally distracting.
How true. A beautiful poem! Your blog is so GOOD!
You took my breath away with your photo and poem today…how true your words ring in my ears….Also ……..you have been tagged. Please see my post called …Tagged for the…
This image is incredibly arresting…then, “as if being busy doing means being who you are”. You cannot know how much I needed to hear these words this week.
Thanks Corey, your poem really strikes a chord with me. Our society puts no value on having a spare moment. No one is encouraged to daydream anymore. We must constantly be occupied and entertained…IPods, personal DVD players, phones that play videos… Can people not stand a moment alone with themselves? Maybe that’s the scary part…once you stop moving, then what? Oh, I could go on and on about this. Connie, I too am more aware of my parents ageing, and that of my sweet cat too. I’m trying to savor the time together, be more in the moment, and sear the scenes in my memory.
you are so right–doing is not being and we often focus too much on the doing and not enough on the being.
yes this is the way life has to be. take the time to do the things which MATTER… with the people who matter and life takes care of itself in the way which you want it to be. unplugging oneself is a great start…
lovely lovely post corey!
Such a well timed and well written sentiment!!
This is a beautiful post and I love the picture too.
where do find these amazing photos and words????!!!!
u r absolutely, hands-down, no questions, a*ma*zing!
bonne nuit,
🙂 mary ann
precisely why I moved from the city to the country * thanks for confirming what I already know~slowing down helps us un-cover who we really are….and what it is that really matters the most…family friends and faith* thanks again;o)
I found it more difficult to live fully when I was living in the States. Maybe part of it was the constant TV. Now that I live in France I feel like my life opened up. The pace of living is slower and the focus is on things like food, learning to savor a meal, swirl the wine. Do I miss having an encharido at Taco Bell? Yes, and Ding Dongs too, but I’ve found my peace here.
oh this made me gasp out loud. i love this poem. thank you for sharing your words here today. beautiful.
My brother called me today, to tell me about his boss– a good man of only 52. He died of a heart attack today, while walking his dog.
This poem made me think what I thought when he told me this… Life IS short! What are we doing with our time here? What matters to us, or what we only get caught up in? It is so important to know the difference. I am afraid that here in the States, we too often only get caught in the being “caught up”.
Thanks for another great post.;)
that shaft of light looks like the Holy Spirit coming down onto the circle/wreath, magnificent! have a truly blessed Easter. xoxo
corey…….picture after picture you warm my heart! you are such an inspiration. ~L.
Beautiful. Calls to mind my grandparents too. Especially the hands. Oh, my grandfather’s hands! Also loved your recent post about french things. I lived in Paris for a while right after highschool and all the things you list brought back little memories!
Ditto C. Delia’s comment
This image is incredibly arresting…then, “as if being busy doing means being who you are”. You cannot know how much I needed to hear these words this week.
As a stay at home mom, I love and cherish the time that I have with our children, and the ability to make our house a home. But that little bit of self doubt always creeps in on me – that I should be doing more, working harder, be more ambitious. I worry how others see me – do they think I’m lazy not to work? Do they think I’m silly knitting, reading and blogging? Should I be more serious? We “sacrifice” many of the so called luxuries. We have one car, no cable, don’t eat out often…
But then I remind myself that we know what the true luxuries of life are, and it is others who are really sacrificing and just don’t know it.
Corey,
Your post truly brought tears to my eyes. Your thoughts run so powerfuly deep and ring so true to the reader/listener.
I so appreciate the depth and impact of your words, which are life to the soul!
My heart bleeds for the lonely and oppressed.
I pray that I may have an impact on those around me and may reach out to those who are hurting.
The crown of life I am holding represents my faith in my Creator, and hope for the future…
I came to your site after reading a comment on mine and found myself reading one post after another. I enjoy your writing and intend to come back. Thanks for your words on mine!
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