Shutter Sisters

passing the time

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Nine days ago, I was on a plane reading A New Earth. The author talks about the illusions of the past and future, and about how happiness is always found in the moment. At one point, he used a quotation from the Bible, “This too, shall pass.” I’d always heard that scripture in reference to painful events…when people lost a loved one, or went through difficulties. He introduced it as a way of perceiving everything. When a baby is born, when you’re laughing with friends around dinner…this too shall pass. All of a sudden, that temporary space in time, takes on more importance.

 

Three days ago, I was on vacation looking out of this window, surrounded by my family who rarely gets to be together. When the anticipated days finally come, I feel like everything should be monumental. Then I get up to the actual moment and realize my expectations were my imagination (again). And that what’s real is even better (again). And even the grandest of events, are just made up of lots of Sweet Ordinary. A trip to the grocery store together, a good movie, a laugh and a story here and there. What’s grand, is what’s ordinary. And that’s why it’s easy to overlook.

 

Today I sit here a little melancholy and homesick for my family. Distance between people that love each other, always feels like a waste. It’s like having a million dollars, but not being able to access it. Or maybe it feels  worse. But even in the sadness, I feel a certain contentment because I know I was paying attention while the time was passing. And that’s all anyone can ever really do, anyway.

 

How are you passing the time these days? 

 

Picture and words by Maile.

 

Comments

  4. My relationship with my husband began as a long distance one. Over 4,000 miles apart. Having to learn that ‘This too, shall pass’ had such a remarkable effect on everything. The struggling nights we had away from each other-knowing that one day, it’d be all right, we’d be in each others arms…
    And then there were the nights that we were in each others arms, afraid to let go-because we would once again be separated.
    ‘This too, shall pass’, I think-is to teach people to slow down, to realise that the hardships that we all face will be looked back on in years to come with gratitude, maybe even with laughter. But I think that it is also about not taking things and people for granted…
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/edarcy/2685335578/

  11. Time just passes too fast. I have always wished I had a magic time machine that would just freeze time for a little while…slow things down. I feel like I just had my first baby and now I have three and my first baby is 8 years old..whaaaa. I pass time by soaking up those little ordinary moments. It’s like I have a camera in my brain that not only captures images, but also smells. sounds, and touch. The shutter in my mind clicks away to freeze the ordinary sweet times in my head forever.

  14. Lately I’ve been passing time stretched much too thin. There’s so little I actually *have* to do, but so much that I *want* to do–take pictures, work on my quilt, blog, various other little crafty and cooking projects, playing in the garden….

  29. "This too shall pass" played a HUGE part this past weekend while on vacation. I passed the time staring at and watching my son sleeping, making sure he was breathing. He had an allergic reaction to something he ate and went into respiratory arrest, placed on a venilator and was air-lifted from the ER to a PICU at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, 65 miles away from where we were in Palm Springs. He’s okay now and no worse for wear. I can’t say the same for me, though. Sigh…this too shall pass…right??
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeroldssis/2692134574/

  31. I have had to remind myself that difficult/ challenging times are temporary. I’ve also used the phrase, "This too shall pass", to remind myself.

    However, I just wanted to point out that this is a phrase NOT Scripture. It is not in the bible.

    Just thought you should know.

  33. This post really struck a chord with me — I passed it along to my entire family — and all felt as I did. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for your wonderful sentiments….