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More alive

Sometimes I don't feel much. Life feels like a continuously expanding to-do list, and I get in "task mode" and wonder why I want to pull away from everything. In the moment I struggle to put my finger on it, but I know I need a break. And then something awakens my senses and it's the epitome of refreshment.

Last night, it was listening to Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Part, the song I walked down the aisle to, which Matt and I often listened to in our little studio apartment in Chicago. It also reminded me of the times I picnicked at the Pritzker Pavilion while listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on amazing summer days in the city.

There's something about old memories that help me be less detached from myself.

As I talked to Matt about this, he said something along the lines of, "that's why art is so human." Because it reminds us that we're not just here to do tasks and stay alive.
Art seems like an extra, because it's not one of the things needed to survive like food, water, and shelter.

But it makes us more alive.

If you're feeling empty, dull, numb, bored, drained, detached, then find a way to awaken your senses. REALLY hug someone. Listen to great music, especially if it brings back good memories. Create something. Watch a movie that makes you cry. Go for a walk where you can SMELL the leaves. God didn't just give us our senses to help us survive, as some secular folks may claim. He gave us beauty and the means of noticing and taking in beauty as ways to experience His glory.
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