The In-Between

The In-Between is a reminder to slow down and learn to appreciate the little moments in life, like the times when we’re really just waiting for the next big thing, as they shape our lives a lot more than we think.

One night Jeff’s infant son woke up and started crying. Eager to get back to sleep, Jeff hoped he could rock him back to sleep sooner rather than later. However, his son was stubborn and just wouldn’t fall asleep again.

Eventually, Jeff gave up and accepted that he probably wouldn’t sleep at all that night. Once he did, he took his son down into the living room and started playing with him. All of a sudden, his son started smiling and using new words he’d never said before. As Jeff realized this was a life-changing moment, he saw how easily he could’ve missed it.

Had he not let go of his expectations about how the night would turn out, he never would’ve shared this special moment with his son.

While it’s always good to have a plan, you should never try to force your expectations of how things turn out into reality – it’s right when things go wrong or off-track that life happens. If you don’t stop and give up control once in a while, you might miss it.

When his semester abroad in Spain ended, Jeff reacted like any student studying overseas would: he didn’t want to go home. Hoping to at least turn the journey back home to “boring Illinois” into an adventure, he decided to take the train.

But unlike the exciting and ever-changing scenery you can witness when riding trains through Europe, a cross-country train trip in the United States turned out to be quite dull and boring. One gray town and empty cornfield after the next left Jeff disappointed, when all of a sudden, a fellow passenger exclaimed: “It’s beautiful!”

The man was a florist and the two started chatting. The florist was actually a widower and heading home too, to see his daughter and visit his wife’s grave. Something he said stuck with Jeff: “There’s nothing like going home.”

When you think about the people that matter most to you, it can transform even a cold, barren winter landscape into the most beautiful scenery.

Whenever I travel, going home always makes me nostalgic. Jeff learned that those who matter to us won’t be around forever and his encounter with the florist encouraged him to pay attention to the here and now, instead of spending time wishing things were more exciting.