Slow and full

Just finished reading an exhausting blog entry - "Notes on a Full Life" - by an enthusiastic, earlier version of Me who has pledged to live life fully by going to every country in the world in 5 years. Older, wiser Farmer Rick wrote back,

Hmm, I agree with all the energy around doing what you believe in, not getting bored, etc. But not so sure about the inference that we need to be constantly moving to achieve that. I’ve led your lifestyle and loved it, and now have shifted to a deliberately slow, thorough life of a farmer/stay-at-home-dad/writer and equally love and grow through it.

Life doesn’t have to be an extreme sport to be fully lived; just lived fully.

Not judging his chosen passion (though questioning the environmental impact and the quality of visits to the roughly 195 countries in the world in 5 years - about 1 week per country). Just relishing the contrast of my formerly nomadic life to my current drive to be constant. Consistently present and mindful with my children, present and responsible to my land and community, present and introspective to my own growth, present and open to the beauty and lessons all around.

We've been living on this land for one year now, and just today discovered that the mystery tree by the root cellar bears a fruit almost like grandma's plum tree. Found a dead vole/mouse with our cat's teeth marks in its throat while sitting with the boys for 20 minutes removing rocks in preparation for grass re-seeding. Walked the property line musing about why so many of the blackberry bushes are barren. Created a new pasta sauce out of the garden's yield-du-jour (see photo). Lessons I would have missed out the window of the airplane or youth hostel.

I celebrate the life I led that took me to about 30 of the countries Chris will blog from. And these days I celebrate that the path led me to this patch of dirt, where my new lesson is to sit still for a while and learn to learn in a new way.