The idea and practice of lingering came to mind. We talk often of wanting to connect with others. One way is to not rush off when bumping into someone we know, but rather lingering, and taking the time to have a few meaningful exchanges. Many of us do rush off. Maybe we are busily booked, or uncomfortable to linger for some reason. Certainly if spending a little more time with that person or group doesn’t appeal, then there is no good reason to linger, yet when organic moments present themselves, lingering can help build connections.

Some of us learned to “run off” once the appointed time or activity was scheduled to end. We might be the first to leave. We might feel uncomfortable or in the way. Yet many of the meaningful exchanges and feeling of understanding can come from those unexpected moments when we “stay put” or linger. Many a precious and unexpected conversation can happen when we aren’t in a rush, and maybe just at ease enough to linger a couple of minutes and show curiosity about a person or further a conversation.

If all our time is planned and we scoot from one thing to another without a bit of grace time in between, or taking a moment to linger, we might be missing out on deepening a connection we say we want. And as we age deliciously, a part of that is growing those connections and being available for a bit of lingering.