#356: The How of My Life

The piece below was not written with the intention to be a blog. In fact, it was actually Joe's response to Jaime's blog from last week! But Jaime and I really loved the story he writes about and decided to share this thoughtful and encouraging note more widely. We hope you might enjoy it too! 

- Amanda

The How of My Life

Good morning Jaime, 

What a journey you are on.

A few days ago I spent time with the bread group (a group of guys I hang out with most of whom out-age me by at least 15 years, to bake bread, tell stories and eat food--slowly). It's a day that usually starts around 9 or 930 or 10 and goes until 4 or 430 or 5, depending on the bread, weather, people, stories and how many bottles of wine are still left unopened. 

There's been a shift in the group over the last year. The newest member, Renato, is from Italy. He arrives, whenever, lights up the room and soaks up the moment, without concern for time. It's almost like time is running on a separate track and he lives his life independent of any specific moment. I would love to be able to say it's the Italian mindset, but it may be more than that. I think there's something deeper going on, an internal sense that life is in a constant state of happening. I think being with people and in places that matter at a specific time or by a specific time, for a specific amount of time, matters less than being present when you arrive and while you are there. 

I thought back on the day after the last group member left and imagined how life would be different if I had grown up like Renato. 

Your post reinforced the need for me to think more about the how of my life and less about the when. Thank you, Jaime.