This realization came when I was counting down the days until our upcoming Hawaii trip, 16 day in case you were now wondering. I am so excited to get to go on vacation that sometimes I wish it would get here faster. In this wishing things would get here faster, I forget to look at all the great things that are going on right now. I am all for having things to look forward to, that is not what I am critiquing about myself. Rather I am trying to remind myself that the journey should be just as important as the destination. It is good and healthy to be mindful of the future; it helps us to keep making forward progress in life. Yet I am realizing it is also important not to get stuck thinking about things that will come and forget where we are at right now.
I also know that it is a slippery slope to start wishing life away. I noticed that I will often start thinking about the even the little fun events that are coming up, soon my mind wanders to upcoming seasons of the year, then I start thinking about plans we are working on for a house, which lead to thinking about a future career or family and before I know it I am wishing I could see the path for the next five years all laid out on a neat tidy map in front of me. I think even if that was possible, I wouldn’t want it - despite my wishing for it at times. That is because when I think back to five years ago, I see how many things in my life have changed or turned out in amazing ways I could never have believed possible. I know that if I was given a look at my future, it wouldn’t look the way I expect it to and really that’s not what is important anyway since it is often the journey that shapes our lives more than where we end up. This is a very tough concept for a planner like me to wrap my brain around. It is so easy for me to think of things in the future and start wishing for them then that becomes a goal and eventually a precise outline of where I want my life to go.
You may be thinking, “So what. There is nothing wrong with that?” and while I agree, If there is one thing I have learned about my life it’s that the more you try to plan, the fewer things go the way I expect. Lately I have found myself making plans for a year or more down the road that aren’t always founded on very sturdy ground. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad plans, just that I don’t have enough info about where I will be in that time until it gets closer. Life can change so fast, you can’t always have a specific plan and occasionally you just have to act. I need to remember sometimes it is ok not to have all the plans for life and just see what happens on the journey.
I am trying to be more “present” in each day and think about how I can enjoy and make that day better rather than just thinking about what is coming up. So in an effort to look at each day as a part of the journey here is a list of the blessings I’ve seen in my life lately:
- The seed order for our garden arrived and we can start planting as soon as the mud dries a bit.
- The daffodil bulbs we planted last fall are finally popping up. I love daffodils!
- My Moosey puppy and her insatiable desire to run and play fetch helps “force” me to spend time outside. She is obcessed with sticks!
- Our great friends come over or invite us to spend time playing games and eating dinners together.
- I can get in touch with my inner fish since I have had sub free Fridays to go swimming with the girls and their kiddos.
- Report Cards for my 5th graders are nearly done and we can get back to our regular schedule, sans tons of assessments.
- There is a thick crop of Snow Bells blooming to brighten up the entrance to our tin box.
- My Dusty is the most amazing man I could have dreamed of and supports me in every way imaginable.
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