Independence Day
As usual, we spent the 4th up at the Lake. Not with the crowd of old, but with a smaller group of new. Nicole’s boyfriend Connor was there along with Heather’s friend Lexi. Not the same, but still a blast.
With all the kids entering the next stage of their lives, it’s hard not to get retrospective. They asked me about my life choices. What did I major in? What did I do for work? What is it like having kids? Am I having fun? Will they ever have fun again?
Heather was agonizing over a couple of job offers. She was soliciting advice, and the advice fell into two camps. Mine and everyone else’s.
My advice was to postpone or decline any and all offers until September so she could come on vacation with her mother. (I know. It’s hard to believe, but I haven’t technically been on vacation yet.) Unfortunately, she didn’t take my advice.
But on the drive up to the Lake, I was thinking about all of our family vacations, and I realized I have not regretted one dime or one minute spent on those vacations.
And that got me to thinking more.
As I’ve said, I’m not a fan of platitudes and, in particular, the platitude “Live life like there is no tomorrow.” I am very much hoping and planning on the fact that there will be a tomorrow.
But, here are my thoughts on how one should go about living their lives:
- Establish your priorities and stick to them.
- Keep perspective based on those priorities.
I think I’ve done a really good job living my life based on what is important to me. So no regrets there.
I haven’t done so well with #2. I let the messes get to me. And those messes have absolutely no impact on my priorities, where my being bothered by them does. I’m getting better. I am able to remind myself to let the messes slide. I’m hoping I will eventually get to the point where I don’t need reminding.
Of course my life is far from over. There is a lot ahead of me. I’m at a point where I need to push myself into my next stage. Spending my time wandering the yard pulling up weeds while I wait for an almost 18-year-old to get home isn’t quite working for me right now. So I have to figure out what my next step is.
And I promise to occasionally let the wind blow through my ears.
