Good Things Take Time

So said my husband this afternoon. And they do. In particular, yummy new homemade soap takes time to be ready to use, six weeks of curing time. And the green tomato chutney just made takes three weeks to mature in the bottle. But the sentiment can be applied to much more than these two simple examples. 

In a world that seems to be dominated by promises of instant gratification, where you can have what you want right when you want it - when we expect to have what we want and take it for granted that we can - in this world, it is nice to slow down and wait for the good things. Of course we could go to the shops and buy soap and chutney and have both things right now. But we don't want to. It wouldn't be the same, the end product from a factory running a distant second to our products made at home with care, attention and pride.

I spent most of my twenties wanting things 'right now' without waiting for good things to take their time. Be it a house, or saving the necessary funds to be able to buy a house, or reaching a level of fitness a few rungs above where I was already, or the high-paying job that I kept chasing [because whatever you earn, there is always a higher paying job]. Some lessons are only truly learned the hard way, and hearing those words from my husband today, is perhaps a reminder to me in other areas of my life right now.

Because for all I have learned to slow down, roll with the seasons, go with the flow; for all that, I still find myself sometimes wanting to be further ahead than where I'm at right now. And even writing that sentence seems silly. To want to be further ahead than where I am? That would be wishing my life away, and that's just silly.

And I remember to slow down, breathe, look around me. Notice my energetic almost one year old son in his busy play, notice the abundance of soft pink and white blooms outside the kitchen window as I stand washing dishes, and be grateful for having hot running water to wash those dishes in. Being right where I am right now, enjoying the journey to good things. And remembering that it does take time, in this life. The truly good things take time, and enjoying the present moment is the only way to be.

The irony of a post titled 'Good Things Take Time' and an image of green tomatoes. I needed the space in the vegie garden! And the green tomato chutney will be delicious.