I am the sort of person who enjoys taking her time, exploring every avenue, pausing to make moments more worthwhile.

When I was young, I remember noticing people around me — friends, family, or complete strangers. They were always in a hurry. It was never clear why, just that their behavior was different from my own.

As I got older, my peers were anxiously awaiting “growing up” and “moving on”, as if time could not move fast enough for them. This mentality was often second nature and it never occurred to me it could be questioned.

At some point, it just seemed normal (though being normal doesn’t mean that’s how it should be).

Growth and moving forward are two very important parts of life, but they cannot be the only place we dwell. If we never pause from thinking about tomorrow, we will miss so many of the wonderful things we have right now.

I was recently thinking about this lovely community and I began to recall all of those people who were in a hurry to grow up, move away, and branch out on their own. Many of them are quite successful and happy now, but it made me curious to think what our communities could be like if more people made a commitment to give back in some way, rather than always hastily moving on. (Oh the changes we could make.)

Take a moment, right now… and pause. Think about one thing for which you’re incredibly grateful. Does it make you smile?

Maybe not, but I promise it makes you feel something, and to me, that’s something, isn’t it?

What if we each tried to be less preoccupied, take time to consider the important things in life, and take action when necessary? Wouldn’t we all feel… so much more?