The gift of time.

The more I read and learn about care for the elderly and those with AD and dementia, the more I feel like time is a significant part of the answer to better care. 

Time is a pretty hard thing to come by, everyone is always rushing around, trying to get from one place to the next.  Trying to finish their work as soon as possible so that they can go home and rush around there.  Rarely do we simply stop and slow our bodies and minds; seldom can we break from the mold of our society – to get as many things done in the shortest amount of time.

If I’ve learned anything from the Swedes in these past few weeks, it is to slow down a bit.  Take time for that fika!  Walk a little slower, look up at the trees, and really look at the world around you. You’ll never get that time again; it’s extremely precious. 

This being said, time is our most treasured gift, but very often we take it for granted, we aren’t as present in the moment as we should be and we spend time later regretting what we didn’t say, how we were distracted.

So often we forget how powerful a simple conversation is.  I found this short video that pretty much sums up how I feel about the giving of time. 

 Important for when I get older

Spend time instead of money.  Slow down and listen.  Perhaps it is what that person has been craving most.

“The most important hour is always the present; the most significant person is precisely the one who is sitting across from you now; the most necessary work is always love.”

- Meister Eckhart

Hej då från Sverige!