In order to truly live, one must do one’s living amongst the breathing.
I’m sure it’s been said more beautifully before, but those fourteen words sum up my November. After writing 31 days in a row on , the well had run dry and if you encountered me on November 1st, you likely would have heard me say something like, “Do you know what day it is? Do you?! It’s November. November 1st. And I don’t have to write a single word unless I want to. And I might want to. But I might not. And IT’S OKAY BECAUSE IT’S NOVEMBER 1ST.”
Yeah. That actually happened. Multiple times.
Without writing it down or thinking it through, I gave myself permission to get on with the living. No requirement to write, no rush to publish, no mental checklist of images, keywords, and categories.
Time.
What a gift it is and what a waste we too often make of it. Fall is my favorite season of all, and without any assurance of where I’ll be this time next year – I simply want to live in a state of being that declares: I will savor life. I will suck the marrow out of it. I will dance and laugh and throw my head back with abandon, arms spread wide. I will sing off key and eat too many bowls of ice cream. I will take pictures because I love the beauty, not because they would make beautiful graphics. I will listen instead of doing, slow instead of worrying, love instead of doubting.
I will live and love amongst the breathing.
He has not called us to run a frantic race towards the finish, but to love deeply and intentionally. I’m finding more and more that I love best when I forget all of my lists.
Your people need you more than they need your to do’s checked off.
Steal some time and show up to life. Do it because you want to tell a truer story.
Leeana Tankersley, Breathing Room
As we live in a season of thanksgiving, may we choose to also be in a season of thanks-living.
What will you leave out? What will you add in? For me, I hope that it is a season of leaving out worry and adding in time with people, slow moments of laughter, love, and life.
The second image is a free gift for you, an 8×10 printable from this post that is !
I love your zest for life! What an inspiring reminder for me to just be. I think The Lord has really been pressing on my heart lately what it means to live and not just do. Thank you this reminder! I so respect and admire your commitment to rest, embrace beauty and express your thankful heart through living!
“What it means to live and not just do.” That’s a big statement, a big question to wrestle with, but it sounds like it could really shake things up. Glad to have you here, Heather!
You’re amazing. This is so beautifully expressed. I am inspired by your viewpoint and encouraged to know that a young woman of your age is so totally and completely committed to your faith and relationship with our Father. Thank you so, so much for posting this.
Your words are so incredibly kind. Thank you, Cynthia! I hope that this space can be a bench and a breath of fresh air.
Beautifully said. We need to give ourselves permission more often to life live and enjoy life, and just be.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes “just be” sounds like one of the hardest things. Even resting can be hard – but like “just be” it is so necessary and good.
I love that – “thanks-living”!
So happy to see your name pop up over here! :)
This right here is beautiful, Kaitlyn. And I’m glad I’m not alone. I felt this way all month. I wrote a few times, but it was hard after 31 days of nothing but writing. I am glad I did it, and it changed me. But I needed a break, too. To just live among the breathing, as you say so well. And I’ve just wrote today about being in a state of “Thanksliving”…and what a state to aspire to be in every. single. day. Love your heart and your beautiful words always. Hope this Thanksgiving is the sweetest yet for you. <3
I agree… I’m glad I did it, but now I’ve needed a break. You’re right – thanks-living is for every day, not just this season.