It is only children who wonder often, "When will that happen?!" or "Is it time for that yet?". Their sense of time is so slow and vivid, with everything new. Meanwhile adults remark, "I can't believe it's already winter break." or "Is it really almost Christmas?!". Our sense of time is so fluid, like an undercurrent rushing beneath all the important things that need tending day in and day out.

I've heard that bringing slow, mindful awareness to each day can help balance a busy adult's sense of time. Focus on the breath. Awaken and respond only with your sense for many moments. For some, this happens on a bike while pumping through wooded trails. For some, it happens on the water. Artisans know it when their hands are moving as if by some other force and the mind is quiet.

With school break and the holiday season upon us, there is another way to blend the speed of time and allow life to show its fullness. A young person will revel in winter break with that slow, languid revelry that is the best of childhood. This wave of awareness is upon us now. While working parent scramble to adjust to shopping and visits with family, we can remember to meet our kids in this space for many moments each day. Slow to their speed for a whole meal. Spend even half an hour savoring their world. Recall childhood and see it through a new grateful lens.

Here's to the young rejuvenating the old with the special gift of slow time.