“On Fridays over here a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes. Unscripted. Unedited. Real. Your words. This shared feast.”
Today’s topic: HERE
GO.
There is a place I visit in my mind at times…a place where it’s just me in a little house with lots of windows where I have a beautiful table and a brand new shiny laptop and the table is decorated with perfect hydrangeas in blue and green and white. And I sit there with my strong, hot cup of perfectly sweetened and creamy coffee, contemplating the swirls of words that dance around my head. And I carefully choose which ones I want to blend together to make a symphony of thoughts. And there are no distractions, or interruptions, or timelines or clocks. I’m free to just dawdle and think and pray and write and dream.
My mind yearns for There as I flip through Pottery Barn catalogs and empty the dishwasher and pick up yet another monster truck before I break my ankle tripping over it. As I reprimand the children for bickering yet again and hand over my phone for them to play on just to get five minutes to write something for today. As I dream about redecorating and I change diapers and the hours slip through my fingers and before I know it, it’s time to make dinner and my coffee is now very, very cold.
I sometimes forget how much I have Here, for focusing too much on There. But Here is where forever is made. Here is where I decorate the toaster strudel and write “fairies” with the little packet of icing. Where yesterday I made Olympic rings and wrote “Go USA” in my best penmanship. Where these little things make her day. Where these memories of her childhood will bring a smile to her face when I am There.
Here is where I make Thomas zoom down the track and bring delight to his whole entire being. Here is where we snuggle on the couch and he rubs his Elmo across his face and just settles into my lap and doesn’t move for half an hour. Here is where he’ll remember how much Mommy loves to kiss his sun kissed cheeks and tickle his fat little toes.
Here is where God and my husband and my kids need me to be all in. For the journey is as much the call as the call itself. So I pull myself back to the present and tuck away my thoughts of There, and empty the water from the vase of blue and green and white hydrangeas. I write “HERE” in icing and watch it ease over the surface, melt across the edges and bleed into tomorrow.
STOP.
elevate ideas. 
This is AWESOME Monica. I wanted that room, too, when my kids were young. Now that they’re grown and moving out, I want the room where I tripped over toys and had bickering kids! LOL :)
Pst, you’re my featured five minute Friday this week :)
Eeek! Yippee! Thank you!! :)
Congratulations, Monica, on being selected as the featured five minute Friday post.
Yes, ma’am! I second Lisa Jo’s comment about
“here being where forever is made”. That was such an encouraging reminder to stay here and now. Thank you, once again, for words as delicious as any creamy cup of coffee!
You know it, Monica! Here is the best place to be- cold coffee, broken ankles, and all. I’m so glad to have met you, my sweet new friend!
Monica, this is really beautiful. I want to be able to do that to, just be present and love where I am. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a movie of my life. But the soundtrack is great.
I love this! It’s beautiful. I love “contemplating the swirls of words that dance around my head. And I carefully choose which ones I want to blend together to make a symphony of thoughts”. This piece is one of those good symphonies.
I can totally relate to the coffee turning very, very cold. I often make coffee when my toddler goes down for her nap. By the time I sit down to write or read, she wakes up and I forget about the coffee.
Thank you for sharing this!
Monica, I so enjoy your writings! :) Thank you for sharing with all of us and yes I want to go to THERE too! You are very talented!!!
Monica this is beautiful! I long to be in your HERE again with little ones to cuddle, nurture, and trip over, but I was longing for THERE when I was. It passed so quickly. I continue to look ahead to THERE on occasion but have become more proficient in enjoying today’s HERE. Praise God you’re purposing to live fully present.
Julie, I try so hard to keep that in mind…that some day, I’m going to wish for it all back again. Even when it’s hard. Thank you for your comment and for that perspective!! Blessings to you!
Monica, this is so lovely. I love reading your sweet little details about here. HERE with little ones is so precious when we take a few moments to write it and read it and see how beautiful it is! Thank you so much for sharing & writing. I am so glad you are Here instead of There; you sound like you are just perfect for it! ;)
-Jen
http://www.jenbuckner.com
Thank you so much Jen! I wrote it to also help me remember to stay HERE when it gets tough! :)
This is beautiful…here is where I want to be as well, even when I often find myself thinking of other places and times. Your home sounds like such a fun, peaceful place to be.
Oh man, I want to go to that room and that desk and those hydrangeas too. What a beautiful spot that would be. But this line? \”Here is where forever is made..\” wow, yes and thank you. I needed the reminder. This is such a gorgeous piece of writing. As beautiful as any vase of perfectly arranged flowers :)
~Lisa-Jo
You have no idea how much your comment means to me! Thanks, Lisa-Jo!