By Gladys Taber
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
“We need time to dream, time to remember, and time to reach the infinite. Time to be.” This Gladys Taber quote about presence captures a yearning that feels especially relevant in our rushed, modern lives. Its simplicity suggests a quiet wisdom that many of us long for, as the world grows louder and everyday moments can blur together. This quote invites curiosity about what it means to live fully, to honor not just doing, but truly being. Why is time for dreaming, remembering, and just existing so vital for our happiness and wholeness?
What Does This Quote Mean?
Gladys Taber’s words invite us to pause and reflect on presence. At first glance, the quote speaks to the need for intentional time set aside from tasks and to-dos. On a literal level, she points out that our schedules must make room not just for work or duty, but for the softer rhythms of dreaming, reminiscing, and expanding our minds beyond the immediate.
Going deeper, this Gladys Taber quote about presence highlights three dimensions of living: dreaming glances forward, remembering looks back, and reaching the infinite asks us to connect with a sense of something greater — whether that’s creativity, wonder, or peace. These aren’t distractions, but essential elements of existence that give meaning and context to everything else we do.
The phrase “time to be” sums up the heart of the message. It’s about reclaiming moments where we let ourselves simply exist, without expectations or demands. This isn’t about idleness or escape, but rather about tuning into the present, attending to our inner world, and valuing our own need for rest, reflection, and imagination. When Taber speaks of reaching the infinite, she suggests that presence allows us to touch depths within ourselves that daily life alone cannot satisfy. The quote encourages us to give space to our thoughts and feelings, to let our minds wander, our memories breathe, and our souls stretch toward understanding something bigger and richer than rushing from task to task. In essence, it’s a call to cultivate wholeness.
How Can You Use This Quote in Life?
1. Make Time for Unstructured Thought
Set aside a small period each day—five or ten quiet minutes—where you let your mind drift without screens, schedules, or noise. Sit by a window, take a gentle walk, or simply lie still. Give yourself permission to let your thoughts wander, daydream, or remember. This isn’t wasted time; it refreshes your mind and fosters creativity.
2. Honor Your Memories
Keep a journal, scrapbook, or photo album that you revisit regularly. Write down favorite childhood stories, wisdom from loved ones, or memories that have shaped you. In the spirit of this Gladys Taber quote about presence, taking time to remember can help you feel rooted and recognize the threads that connect your life.
3. Pause Before Rushing to the Next Task
When you finish one responsibility and before you start the next, take a mindful pause. Breathe, notice how you’re feeling, and look around you. Even a short break can renew your awareness and reduce stress. Use these transitions to check in with yourself and savor the present.
4. Pursue a Practice That Connects You to Something Larger
This could mean meditation, prayer, art, reading poetry, or spending time in nature. Choose an activity that pulls your attention beyond daily demands and helps you touch your sense of wonder or spirituality. By consciously reaching for the infinite—even in small ways—you feed your need for meaning and perspective.
5. Value Being as Much as Doing
Remind yourself that productivity is not the only measure of a life well lived. Schedule “being time” in the same way you might plan meetings or chores. Whether it’s a half-hour on a weekend afternoon or a few minutes before bed, reinforce that you deserve moments to dream, remember, and just exist.
Each of these ways can help bring Gladys Taber’s wisdom into your real, daily routine. The idea isn’t to overhaul your life overnight, but to weave small spaces for presence into the fabric of each week. Over time, these moments become sources of renewal, peace, and inspiration.
✨ The Motivation Message
You have the right to just be—you don’t need to earn your right to pause, dream, or remember. Sometimes the most important thing you can do is stop moving for a moment and listen to yourself. The world may be noisy and fast, but you are allowed to slow down and make space for what matters! When you honor your need for quiet and imagination, you unlock new energy, clarity, and a deep sense of belonging in your own life.
There are no medals handed out for rushing past your own thoughts and dreams. Step outside, look up at the sky, and give yourself those spare minutes to imagine, remember, or simply breathe. Magic often happens in the silence and the pause. 🌱 You can claim those moments, and you are worth every second of them! Make it your personal challenge: today, let yourself have a “time to be.” See what changes when you do.
About Gladys Taber
Gladys Taber, who was born in 1899 and died in 1980, was an American author beloved for her gentle, insightful writing about everyday living, home, and the countryside. Raised in a family that moved often, Taber ultimately settled at Stillmeadow, a Connecticut farmhouse, where she wrote extensively about the quieter joys of rural life, friendship, and personal reflection.
Taber’s columns, essays, and books offer readers permission to appreciate simple pleasures and to honor the importance of inner peace amidst life’s chaos. Her worldview gently pushed back against the pressures of modern, hurried living. The philosophy underlying this Gladys Taber quote about presence appears throughout her work: she urged people to slow down, value memory and dreaming, and connect with both the natural world and their own spirits. By celebrating “time to be,” Taber encourages us to find grace in ordinary moments and to allow ourselves the spaciousness we deeply need. Her words remain a comforting reminder that life’s truest meaning isn’t measured by achievement, but by attention, presence, and heart.
