advice for august from autumn

 

my niece autumn and i

were talking in the kitchen

the other day.

 

she asked,

do you miss florida?

 

i nodded

and started talking

about all the things

i can't wait to do when i return there.

 

how soon are you going? two weeks?

 

five weeks.

 

she looked at me,

smiled

and said,

 

don't rush time, ames.

 

i stopped loading the dishwasher

and turned to her

wide-eyed and laughing,

like i had been caught

red-handed.

 

you're right,

i said.

you're right, that's really good advice...

 

 

 really good advice

i've been trying to follow.

 

each time i catch myself

rushing time,

i do something

to slow myself

back into the present moment.

 

today,

after i snapped a few photos

of this sunflower,

i hung my pillowcases

on the clothesline

instead of putting them in the dryer.

 

each time

i walked by the window

and saw them billowing

in the breeze,

i stopped, smiled,

and heard autumn say,

 

don't rush time, ames.