Jonas, I have a collection of stones — amethyst, lapis lazuli, onyx, etc. To my grandchildren, when they were pre-elementary age, my stone collection was no different than the common stones and rocks that are scattered about everywhere. Whenever we took walks or they took walks with anyone else, they scoured the ground for “stones” for my collection. A 15-minute walk took 30 as they studied rocks, placing the prettiest ones in pockets to be added to my collection. Older now, they are no longer rock-collectors, but on my living room shelf, I have 2 large decorative bowls that hold the best and prettiest of those common rocks that were carefully selected with joy and love. They are far more precious than my paid-for stones.

I miss those leisurely walks that forced me to slow down to match their speed and curiosity. At 10 and 8 years-old now, we still take walks. Some are slow, allowing us to observe our surroundings. But, some are hurried as they rush to move on to the next activity of interest, slowly morphing into distracted youth, wanting some different, desiring something more. Enjoy the lollygag times — they disappear quickly.