There's something about this time of year that makes everything feel like it's moving a little faster.
One minute we're enjoying the colors of fall, picking out pumpkins, and planning Halloween. The next, we're thinking about Thanksgiving menus, holiday shopping, decorating, and everything that needs to happen before the end of the year.
Before we know it, we're already looking ahead to the next celebration, the next gathering, the next thing on our list.
And somewhere in all that planning and preparation, we can forget to enjoy the season we're actually in.
I've certainly been guilty of this. Getting so caught up in making plans, checking things off my list, and thinking about what's coming next that I forget to appreciate what's happening right in front of me.
But over the past several years, I've learned just how important it is to be present.
Living with lupus and going through breast cancer have changed the way I think about time. When you've experienced a season of life where so much feels uncertain, you begin to understand how precious an ordinary day really is.
There were times when I was so focused on getting through the next appointment, treatment, surgery, or recovery that I found myself wishing the days away. Just wanting to get to the other side, to a time when life might feel a little more normal again.
And while there's nothing wrong with looking forward to better days, I've learned that I don't want to spend my life waiting for them.
I want to enjoy the days I'm living, too.
That's not to say every day is easy or that I always get it right. I still find myself rushing, worrying, planning, and occasionally forgetting to slow down. And living with a chronic illness means some days look very different from what I had planned.
But perhaps that's made me even more determined to find something good in the day I'm given.
A quiet morning with coffee. The smell of something baking. A walk outside when the air is cool and the leaves are changing. A conversation that turns into laughter. Time around the table with people I love.
None of these moments require a special occasion. And yet, they're often the ones that bring me the most joy.
As we move into the holiday season, I've been thinking about how easily the joy of celebrating can get lost in the work of preparing.
We spend so much time getting ready for the holidays that sometimes we forget to enjoy everything that makes them special in the first place.
Maybe the house doesn't need to be perfectly decorated. Maybe the menu can be a little simpler. Maybe it's okay if everything on our list doesn't get done.
What if we gave ourselves permission to enjoy the preparations, too?
To linger over a favorite fall recipe instead of rushing through it. To enjoy the music while decorating. To savor a conversation in the kitchen. To appreciate the people gathered around our tables rather than worrying about whether everything is just right.
And perhaps most importantly, to recognize that we don't have to wait until everything is finished, organized, or perfect to experience joy.
This season of life, whatever it looks like, is worth living while we're in it.
I think that's one of the greatest lessons my experiences with breast cancer and lupus have taught me. We don't always get to choose the seasons we find ourselves in, but we can look for moments of beauty, gratitude, and joy along the way.
We can look forward to what's coming without overlooking what's here.
So as the calendar fills and the holidays approach, I'm reminding myself to slow down just enough to notice the good things happening now.
Because I don't want to look back and realize I was so busy preparing for the next moment that I missed the one I was living.
Here's your gentle reminder, and mine: You have permission to enjoy this season. Right here. Right now. Before everything on your list is done.
What is one thing about this season that you want to slow down and savor?
Happy Savoring!
Angeline
