There are simple joys in life that in the wild scheduling of life we have to be intentional to set aside time to enjoy. My number one goal in life is to make these simple things more a part of the every day the older I get, rather than the opposite. Part of the goal means we have begun choosing them over other things in life. One of these simple things is an evening with good friends. This week we had the opportunity to hold another Simple Evening with new and old friends. We held one similar to this last year and since then we have decided to try to make it an annual thing. Good people all coming together, near the shores of Lake Michigan, enjoying each other’s company at the end of summer, with the common purpose of setting aside that evening for only that.
That idea is beautiful just as it is. It doesn’t have to be overly styled or complicated though our simple evenings air on the side of styled. I believe you can keep them simple and in our day-to-day back home we do. Invite your neighbors whether you know them or not, ask them to bring a dish to pass, you serve up the drinks and a table with a white linen and collected dishware. Make an evening of it. For me, I love planning a dinner party at the end of the weekend, so I can set aside the whole weekend to prepare and set the table for those that will join around it with me. I think this is what is deemed slow living these days. Where I think in a fast paced life we have to choose the idea of slow living, it will not choose us.
So this weekend, call on a few good friends that mean a lot to you. Ask them to make a dish to pass. Set the table. Light some candles. Gather some greens and flowers from your yard and place in a favorite vase. Then enjoy the evening in all it’s twinkling perfection. Life will pass us by if we don’t leave time for us to watch it happen. Don’t let it pass too quickly. Enjoy the flickering candlelight on the faces of those you love and let the joy fill you up as much as the great food did. These are precious moments make time for them.
Happy weekend! Make the most of it.
In case you missed it we had a few fun posts this week:
Monday Words | Just 5: Summer Salad with Epicure Catering | The Accidental Workout | More than Ordinary: Ceiling Fans