Poise and Presence

‘There were times when I could not afford to sacrifice ‘the bloom of the present moment’ to any work, whether of the head or hands. I love a broad margin to my life.‘ Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Most of us do not make Thoreau’s choice to sequester ourselves in the woods. As we sit in traffic and arrive home to feed the children, is it possible to delight in a ‘broad margin’ to our lives?

Thoreau arranged his Walden Pond life in such a way that he could stop what he was doing, whether physical labor or mental exertion, and indulge in ‘the bloom of the present moment.’  For parents of young children, not going to happen. For the person commuting two hours each day with a full office day between, I don’t think so.

Perhaps we have opted to acquire a few more possessions than Thoreau,  prefer central heating to a wood fire, and have tossed a few kids into the mix.  How about a broad margin right in the midst of that life? Let’s find out if it is even possible by allowing the present moment to bloom, whatever that moment holds.

thanks, pixabay. This photo reminds me of fall kayak paddles.