The Illusion of Time

Possibly my favorite thing about having children is the ability to enjoy things for the first time again. Well, I can't really travel back in time and enjoy them for the first time, but I do get to see eyes light up at subway trains rushing past, I get to hear squeals of delight when we walk into an ice cream store and the kids can confirm there are sprinkles! In an ice cream store! Can you believe it? Their thrill infuses me with joy.

Besides the thrill that accompanies first times, there's also the methodical dissecting of new information, in order to fit it in with all the other information that's already been learned. Sometimes, this can be a very slow process. And while it's easy to step in and say "the pipes extend up and down the street above ground because they're fixing the pipes beneath the ground, and the water is being temporarily re-routed!" now stop asking me about those damn things before my head explodes! I enjoy life much more when I allow Helen and Connor to turn into detectives and figure out what's going on. But I admit, the simplest tidbits of information can sometimes take days to unfold into a probable truth.

Elisabeth Tova Bailey documents the passage of time, as she battles a debilitating illness, in her book "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating". The gift of a snail, which turns out to be quite active, provides the context for days beginning and ending. Over and over.

Her words provided me a beautiful reminder that lessons can be learned from the smallest of creatures. I also learned a ridiculous amount of information about snails, and I will find the perfect moment to bust out this knowledge someday. Just wait for it.

Elaine

This post was inspired by the book "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. I received a free copy of the book as a member of the From Left to Write book club.