Finding value in the in-between

“If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored.  One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” – Henry Miller

I have a tendency to hurry, especially when it comes to getting places, literally or figuratively.  I focus on the goal and often consider the process to be a necessary inconvenience.

My husband, thankfully, is the opposite.  He can find productivity and joy in the in-between moments and is never bored.  I sincerely hope he passes this ability along to our kids.  Despite his habitual tardiness (finding joy in the in-between moments must come with a downside 😉 ), and mine as a result, I’ve managed to pick up on some these positive behaviors which has helped me see the in-between time not as time wasted, but as time to find value in.  I’m not always successful, but I’m learning to see and appreciate these moments more often, especially when they involve our son.

Using my camera has helped me to better see these moments as well.  I naturally want to capture them to help us remember these little pieces of our life.  Last week, my mom and nephews came to visit and I had a blast capturing our time together.  My youngest nephew discovered his own joy in taking pictures and I really enjoyed watching him develop his creative eye.

These pictures were all taken on an outing with my family to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia.  Road trips were a big part of my family vacations growing up and I don’t have any pictures of those in-between times, even though we spent many hours in the car.  I was happy to capture a few of those moments on our trip.  And maybe someday these images will help our kids find as much value in what happens along the way as they find in reaching the destination.

This post was inspired by this week’s photo challenge.