wittering noun
wit·ter·ing ˈwitərə̇n, -riŋ
plural-s
chiefly Scottish
: a piece of information (as a sign, token, or hint)
Etymology
Middle English (Scots) wittering, witering, from gerund of witteren, witeren to clarify, inform, teach, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse vitra to manifest, reveal, vitr wise, vita to know“Wittering.”
— “Wittering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wittering.
making much of time
I have six nieces and nephews. The oldest is 26 (I was 9 when she was born, so I’m not terribly ancient…) and the youngest is 3. I’ve been an aunt for most of my life, and I have always felt a profound bond with each of my brother’s brood. This hasn’t changed since I had kids. I would still gladly give my life for any of them, and when I am able to spend time with them, I go “all in.” But the older I get, the more these moments feel more precious to me. I’ve been watching two of them become teenagers and more and more their own person every visit. They grow so much so fast this time in their lives, and I find myself feeling nostalgic for all the adventures we had in the past.
I keep a log on my phone for special moments (because I don’t have time to write it all out by hand in my literal journal these days). I write the date and one or two lines sharing something significant. This doesn’t need to be a life-altering moment, but something that touches me that I never want to forget. It’s so easy for us to forget the little moments with our big human brains. And journaling throughout my life has impressed how important it is to jot it down so it doesn’t become lost to the haze of time.
My brother brought his brood across states to come and stay with us for a few days. Because their time was limited, I had to be very intentional about carving up moments with each niece and nephew as I could. Here were some of my favorite moments I noted in my log:
- Building a robot with Eli (he built it, I supervised and categorized all the parts)
- Braiding the oldest niece’s hair (each time we create and test out different styles)
- Building a fairy garden with Eva (we picked the prettiest wildflowers for the fairies)
- Watching Fairy Tale: A True Story with Eva afterward (and I forgot just how magical and sweet that movie is)
- Eli becoming the Monopoly champion (this kid had over $3,645 in MM I kid you not)
- Playing “Happy Little Dinosaurs” with the oldest three (this game is hilarious btw)
- Playing “Pretty Pretty Princess” with two nieces + littlest nephew and hosting a dress-up/tea party (whoever won the crown, won the kingdom lol)
Needless to say, I was exhausted when they left town Sunday afternoon, but I was also deliriously happy. I’m reminded to shore up these moments while they’re still young because time just seems to roll faster and faster. They’ll all be grown up like my 26-year-old niece before I know it.
So I don’t mind that I didn’t write or market or “do all the things” while they were in town. To those of you who struggle to pull away from your work or online tasks, I encourage you to let life pull you away now and again. Make the most of time, because time isn’t going to slow down for you. Every moment is precious, and while creating and working is absolutely worth doing, you’re only young-ish once. And your kids and the kids in your life won’t stay little for long. Make good memories to cling to on darker days. Write down happy moments, to remind yourself what life can be, even if that isn’t what always is. Find happiness in the little moments.
bookish updates
- Scarred Beauty is live! You can find it at your favorite book retailer using this UNIVERSAL LINK!
- Want to be part of the Scarred Beauty book tour? Our first big event is once again hosted by Lola’s Blog Tours, and sign-ups are live at this link! Hope to see all of you there 😀
- Wylder Tales art is in the works and will be revealed soon!
- Thank you so much to everyone who shared The Borderlands Saga Book Trailer! (made by the amazing team at Qamber Designs!) If you haven’t seen it yet, please have a gander and help me spread the word…
Jennifer Silverwood 