I learned something fantastic this week by listening to the podcast, “Happier” by Gretchen Rueben. She shared a quote that I have been thinking about ever since. This quote came from a book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series.
“We are so overwhelmed with things these days that our lives are all, more or less, cluttered. I believe it is this, rather than a shortness of time, that gives that feeling of hurry and almost helplessness. Everyone is hurrying and usually just a little late. Notice the faces of the people who rush past on the streets or on our country roads! They nearly all have a strained, harassed look, and anyone you meet will tell you there is no time for anything anymore.”
Part of the reason I find this quote so fascinating is that Laura wrote this in 1924 when she was living in the country… on a farm in Missouri.
Often I have felt rushed and busy, and wished to live in a simpler time… or at least to have MORE time. All of Laura’s books, detailing the society she lived in, seemed to paint a picture of that simpler time… collecting maple syrup, churning butter, gathering pumpkins for the winter, making corn husk dolls. And yet, here was Laura talking about how the overwhelm and rush was present in her day AND in her opinion comes from inside us instead of our surroundings or lack of time.
I have often heard it said that the busy-ness and rush of our lives are because we are surrounded by technology. While gizmos and gadgets can be distracting, it seems the hurry and overwhelm does not date back to when the internet first came online, the telephone became a common household object, or even when train tracks brought chugging locomotives to the area.
Some people explain the rush and hurry of society by saying there is more demanded of us these days. As far as greater demands – yes, life is different now – but it also sounds pretty demanding to be responsible to provide all of life’s necessities through your own physical labor, knowing if you weren’t diligent or blessed enough you could go hungry in the cold of winter.
Laura’s take on where the busy and overwhelm in life is coming from feels like truth and also gives hope. While we can’t determine the time period we live in, and we definitely can’t add more hours to the day, we CAN choose how we walk through life’s journey.
What can we do to find peace and joy in our homeschool journey? If we don’t want to feel rushed, hurried, or overwhelmed we only have to look inside us for the answers. We can intentionally slow down and notice the good and happy in life. We can find joy in the moments.
- Take time to do exercise you enjoy.
- Curl up on the couch with a good book.
- Spend a little time decluttering around the home – just one drawer or counter at a time.
- Think happy thoughts about the people in your lives.
- Start a list of things you are thankful for.
- Take deep breathes.
- Notice nature.
- Spend some time being creative.
- Tell someone thank you.
- Learn something new.
- Create memories with your family!
Enjoy your week!
