Summer flew by this year, but then it always seems to fly by. It is usually filled with activities, seasonal activities that you have to participate in or risk having to wait another year to enjoy them. There are numerous festivals, outdoor concerts and fairs-among other things-around the Finger Lakes in the summertime. Every weekend could be full to the brim if one so desired.
I made it to one winery event this year, but other than that I tried to give myself the gift of time this summer. Time to not watch the clock, to see plenty of white-space on the calendar, and time to take a spontaneous walk or drive if I wanted to.
I spent time with my new granddaughter and her mom, my first-born. I spent time helping to plan the wedding of my youngest daughter, which is now a few weeks past. I spent time getting to know myself again-and what I enjoy. All of these activities were sheer delight and I have to say that if I had spent this summer like most others in years past, there wouldn't be much to savor on remembering.
Most of my adult summers have been spent on home repair or maintenance projects, trying to fit too much into too little time, all while anxiously hoping the weather would hold. In western New York that could be viewed as a bit insane. The only consistent thing about New York weather is that it is unequivocally unpredictable! Nevertheless, I grew up with the philosophy of "work first, then play." As the years have sauntered by however, I've discovered that work never ends. And because of that I have been reluctant to play-until recently.
The saying "life is short" became real to me a couple of years ago. Some dear ones close to me have theorized that it might be my age, but we won't go there! A mid-life crisis, some others have suggested. Whatever it is, I'm glad, because it got off of the all-work-no-play wheel of insanity.
This new realization made me slow down and thoughtfully consider how I spend each moment, each day deposited in my "life account." Unlike a bank account a life account has only so much in it to spend. I can't deposit more into it. I can only change or adjust how I spend it.
Knowing this, I will be careful and discerning about how I spend each moment, making sure I use every resource of time for being who I'm meant to be, doing what I'm meant to do, and loving every minute that's been deposited into my account. And I will be rich, rich indeed.
