A ripple of urgency pulsed through me as our children were on hour six of fishing in Lake Bolsena, north of Rome. They have been in the sun too long. There are ruins to see, castles to explore, errands to run, laundry to do, meals to make, math facts to study!
When I looked up, they were chatting peacefully to a man from Holland about bait choices, their strong bodies were perched on the rock jetty and the lake sparkled like molten silver around them. Henry had a sandwich in one hand and his pole in another. He could not bring himself to shore, even to eat. Why?
We have been moving every week for over four months. We have been taking so much in with so little time to let it sink into our souls. As we arrived at Lake Bolsena to visit friends, and the fishing poles were spotted, the kids disappeared. They spent three full days on the jetty as the last four months settled around them. They let sunsets and sunrises come and go. They talked, they watched and every so often they waved. They caught and released 20 fish but mostly they absorbed all that is this journey.
I was reminded of the importance of pace and how sometimes doing nothing is exactly what is needed to comprehend all that has come before and prepare for all that is on the horizon. Lake Bolsena will forever remind us to create that space.
