It’s been a doozy of a year, even though it’s been one of our best. Changes, lessons learned, kids growing up, slight job shifts… Life constantly moves, doesn’t it? 2012 has whooshed by, but when I think of January to now, I’m in awe of all I’ve learned, as a writer, as a wife, and as a mother.
I actually thrive on change, which is both good and bad. I tend to roll with the punches, but if things remain stagnant for a bit, I get restless. The longest we’ve ever lived in one home was three years, and that was overseas, which is full of crazy upheaval just by nature of geography.
But I don’t thrive on busyness. It sucks me dry, and I get lost in the liturgy of life when my focus shifts from being a person with intentional purpose to a checker of to-do lists. When my daily goals become efficiency and productivity instead of reflection and contentment.
I bet being busy sucks the life out of you, too. I believe that’s because we aren’t inherently made to be busy.
There’s a lot I miss about living overseas, but probably the thing I miss the most is a slower pace of life. It drove me crazy, this snail’s pace, when we first lived as expats—getting one thing done was a major accomplishment, and that’s enough to wad up the pants on any red-blooded American. But eventually (as in, several years) into our life, and I grew to savor a slower rhythm.
