Time Ceases to Be the Enemy

“Most of us need from time to time the experience of something spacious or space-making, when Time ceases to be the enemy, goad-in-hand, and becomes our friend. To read good literature, gaze on natural beauty, to follow cultivated pursuits until our spirits are refreshed and expanded, will not unfit us for the up and doing of life, whether of personal or church affairs.

Rather will it help us to separate the essential from the unessential, to know where we are really needed and get a sense of proportion. We shall find ourselves giving the effect of leisure even in the midst of a full and busy life. People do not pour their joys or sorrows into the ears of those with an eye on the clock.”

— Caroline Graveson, 1937
English Quaker educator

Today’s Invitation

Spend time with your eyes off the clock.

This Week’s Query

How do beauty, art, and leisure fit into your ideas of simplicity?

When you think of simplifying your life, what are you making space for?

Share your response!

Author

Caroline Graveson

Caroline Graveson was a Quaker educator. She was appointed women’s Vice Principal of Goldsmiths’ College in 1905 and remained one of the most important women in British higher education until her retirement at the end of 1934. She wrote several books during her career, and was one of the leading Quakers in the UK.
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