The faster we try to move, the farther we get from the rhythms of friendship and flowers. We believe that we can make up for the loss of days, or hours, especially with each other, by concentrated minutes. But ultimately there is no way to do one-minute mothering. There is no way to pay attention in a hurry. Seeing, as Georgia O'Keeffe said, takes time.
Friendship takes time.
So does family. So does arriving at a sense of well-being. This is what I learned on my summer vacation. The Boston Globe Newspaper Co., Washington Post Western Group, reprinted with permission.