When I was a child, I was the expert at the lead up. The anticipation of something exciting happening was quite literally more exciting than being present when that exciting "thing" was taking place (or at least the excitement was equal.) The build up was the magic before traveling to see family or beach vacations or neighborhood events. I thought about those lead ups each and every day contemplating the magic and the food and the festivities. I am unable to articulate when the "lead up" was swept away with the wind and the trees, but it certainly was. 

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard others say as of recently, "It's coming so quickly, I didn't even have time to think about." And sometimes, I think the lead up is the most whimsical part of an exciting event but too often we find ourselves so very busy that the lead up ceases to exist and all of a sudden you find yourself knee deep inside the event or the excitement and you aren't as awake as you should be to take it all in. 

Some whimsy is lost when the lead up is. It's almost like when you are tranporting water from your watering can to the flowers and you fill it up so high that you realize with each step you are sloshing around the water and it is spilling on your shoes and your pants and pretty soon when you get to the actual flower, there are only a handful of sprinkles left. It's like a watering can of whimsy sprinkling to and fro so quickly that you realize a lot of the magic has escaped unnoticed. 

But I think the lead up requires slow energy. I must admit I'm simply not good at slow because I equate it with unproductive. But when we think about our souls, the most productivity occurs in times of peaceful contemplation and whimsical lead ups. So as my brother will get married this weekend, I've decided to just sit on the couch all day (just kidding) but I've decided to quite literally take my soul on a vacation. This means, enjoying the lead up through running and nature. Cancelling tutoring and volunteering. Baking dozens of cookies and then every hour just sitting down, drinking some water and thinking about my thinking. Thinking about the relatives coming and the food to come and the laughter and speeches and excitement. For the first time in a long time, I actually demanded that life come to a halt, that time slow down and that I get to believe in the lead up once again. 

Keep in mind, it doesn't matter how organized you are. The lead up isn't to make one feel unproductive but to make one feel alive. It's enjoying all the days creating an abundant celebration and it's knowing that the soul requires quiet time in order to appreciate the lead up and the ending exciting event. Who says you cannot drag on the whimsy to make it last just that much longer. Time doesn't stop, but you can certainly make your soul slow down. Enjoy the lead up and rise up to become alive.