Try This: One Single Act of Care

On loving something completely, even the smallest thing

Welcome to Making Time. What makes a life feel vivid rather than rushed? These are my reflections from rural Oregon on attention, ritual, and making things by hand. If you’d like to follow along, you can subscribe for free.

I have a penchant for shiny old silverplate, so when I saw this picture frame recently at the thrift store, I snatched it up. It’s one of those album frames: the black velvet back opens up to slots where you can store more photos. I thought it would be nice to finally frame a wedding photo after all these years.

Who knows how long this frame has sat in storage somewhere? It was unused, but dull with a coppery wash of tarnish on the surface and a black tinge settled into the ridges. I left it waiting on the kitchen counter, piled up with my seed catalogs and mail and other things I mean to get to soon.

Saturday, puttering around the kitchen, thinking of all the chores I need to get to, I saw it. I’ll take care of this now, I thought.

So I settled into a chair by the window, where the winter sun was unusually bright. With a bit of silver polish and a sponge, I carefully wiped away the grime, working in small circles and pushing the sponge into the crevices.

I thought of nothing but the act of cleaning. I worked at it carefully. I wiped the polish, found areas I’d missed, and cleaned again until it shone like a mirror.

The gleaming silver felt satisfying. But it wasn’t the end result that mattered. It was the five minutes of pure attention that I’d given it. It was taking the time to devote myself wholeheartedly to caring for something.

The frame now feels ready for the photo. It isn’t just a pretty object I picked up at a thrift store, but something that feels imbued with love.

Try This: One Small Act of Care

Here’s my invitation to you today. Find one thing to give care to for a few minutes, and give it your undivided attention.

It could be a sweater that needs mending, plants that you water, or a nightstand that needs tidying (I’ll raise my hand for that one).

Spend just a few minutes on it, but in a spirit of caretaking.

Instead of checking it off a list or thinking about the end result, just approach it with love and commitment for a few short minutes.

Notice what your hands are doing, and how the object or area changes as you care for it. Look for areas that need your attention. Enjoy the feeling of care. Let time fall away.

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