Source: fineartamerica.com via Danita on Pinterest

What Are You Up to Today?

A few days ago I wrote a sticky note and put it on the kitchen counter. It said: “Harvest greens.”

This morning I was on the verge of putting it off (again) in favor of more important things, when I saw how that choice could easily become a habit, and once again the greens would sit in the garden until they became tough and bitter.

So I walked out to the garden with bowl and shears.

By some grace, I chose not to hurry as I pulled the romaine and clipped the spinach. I thought about leaving the roots at the side of the row to compost later, my usual strategy. But again grace intervened, and I carried the trimmings over to the compost pile before going inside. (Miles, the Charming Prince, will no doubt be amazed and delighted to read this.)

In the wake of those choices, time opened up. I found myself rinsing, spinning and drying the greens without the usual drive to get the job done. As I worked, I realized down to my toenails that when we act in the now there’s no hurry or pressure. Now is an infinite moment.

Life is short.

Now is an infinite moment, yet our lives are measured in clock time. While there’s no way to know for certain how long you will live, you can calculate your estimated life span from actuarial charts. If you’re curious, you can chunk down your predicted life span into days, hours and minutes with this countdown clock.