The Moral of the Story:Life should be experienced slowly

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” — Ellen Cantor

One conversation involved butterscotch chips. Later, I had a similar discussion with someone about baths. In both cases, the same conclusion was reached. How can that be?

The reason we came to the same conclusion about two such disparate things is that we talked about a universal principal. Whether I’m referring to cooking, taking a bath, growing roses, reading a good book, savoring a delicious meal, walking hand in hand with a toddler or deepening a friendship, there are many things in life that you simply can’t hurry.

The first conversation that led to the conclusion about needing to slow down took place with a friendly cashier at the market. She held up the butterscotch chips and said, “I love butterscotch, what are you making?” I told her that I couldn’t remember their name, but I was making cookies with melted butterscotch chips, peanuts and crispy Chinese noodles. “You’re making ‘haystacks,’” she said. “That sounds right.” I replied. “Actually, this is my second attempt. I’ve made them for years, and I know that you’re supposed to melt the butterscotch over hot water, not boiling, and I’ve never had a problem. But today I tried to make them in a hurry and I didn’t pay attention to the water temperature, and then it starting boiling. The butterscotch wasn’t the creamy, not-quite-melted consistency I’m used to, but a caramel-colored glop. I turned the water down hoping it would reconstitute itself, and I spent way too much time stirring it. Finally, I just threw it away — and here I am!” As the cashier gave me my change, she said, “There are some things in life you can’t hurry.”

Later, a friend mentioned that she treated herself to a leisurely bath whenever she could, and that doing so calmed her body and mind. She said that relaxing in the bath also prompted her to look at her life and helped her refocus. “Taking a bath forces me to slow down, and the soothing reminds me of the benefits of slowing the pace of my life,” she said. I told her about my recent proof that haste makes waste with butterscotch chips and how easy the second batch was to make once I let the chips melt slowly.

We then talked about some of the other meaningful things in life that can’t be hurried. I told her about a wonderfully slow walk I took on the beach with our 2-1/2-year-old granddaughter Mary. While we walked, we stopped to watch people swimming in the water, and we talked about sand in our toes, the sound of the waves and the wind in the trees. Mary looked up and said, “God is in the sky and God is in our heart.” I smiled and told her that she sure knew a lot, and then said, “Isn’t it wonderful that God, who made the world, wants to live in our hearts, too?” Mary sweetly answered, “Yes, it is. Look Cici, can I pick up that leaf?”

Mary picked up the leaf and she carried it for the rest of our walk. I carried the reminder that sometimes “slow” is the best way to go. And you can quote me on that.