Sitting wishing and waiting… for life to start!?

Just a little something that was on my mind for you all about life!

I have been thinking a lot about life lately and I have learned to know that life does not start when an event finally comes…  a particular event does not mark the “start” of your life…

well, it should not I don’t think…

It seems as though life is kind of mapped out in stages or rather, defined by certain landmarks. We live for the next one, rather than enjoying the journey between. We focus so much on dates and events and spend so much time waiting for them to come… and when they finally do come, they are gone so fast… we are left with the feeling of … “was that it?”

These are some of the common events/landmarks that come to mind through the course of ones life of course which can be different for different people:

• the next birthday, the next Christmas etc. (once you are old enough)
• starting school for the first time…
• which leads to starting middle school…
• then finally being in high school
• you never thought it would come but, graduating from high school
• going to college, moving “out” or whatever is next
• graduating from college
• getting a job
• getting married
• buying a house
• having a baby
• buying a new car
• getting a promotion
• finally retiring….

but then what?

Life goes so quickly and there is so much else to enjoy, I mean look at how short that list is. I can come up with a list twice as long just for the day.  I know these are big things, and it is not right to compare it to my tasks for the day… but think about all that can be enjoyed during the time (sometimes years) between each of those “landmarks”. I believe enjoying the process of life and enjoying all the times between big events can only make the “main” events that much better!

If we constantly live our lives for what is next, we fail to enjoy the process along the way.  I have realized that a quality life is living life full which does not mean living for events, but living full even between events.  This is what makes life so meaningful, fun and rewarding!   It is almost like we cannot start living until certain landmarks come.  ”Once I make more money, then I will be able to really live or buy this or do that”…  “Once I graduate I will finally be out of this town”… “I cannot wait until I retire, then I will have time for…”

Until we realize that life has already begun and we are in the midst of it, we will continually miss out.

People sit around and wait for the next thing to come along but what they do not realize is how much they are missing out on today.

I can remember times in my life where I was so focused on the completion of a task or season that I failed to fully enjoy the time I had in it.  When I was in college, all I wanted to do was hurry up and get done so I could move on… I realize now that I missed out on more friendships, certain activities and opportunities because I was so focused on competing school.  I got my first degree in 3 years and a second in just 2 more. But why the rush?  I am still not exactly sure. It is not that I was in a hurry to “grow up” or anything, I just wanted what was next… but what about all in there I missed? Next would have still come whether I rushed or not.

I remember as a little girl and not so little,  I always looked forward to my wedding day.  I was so excited  for it to come! I would think about a pretty dress, flowers,a ring and of course, my prince charming… I could hardly wait until it came.  Now that my “dream wedding” has come and gone and I have my “prince”  I realize that it was not the actual day that was important (although it does have importance and significance) it is the process and growth of our relationship. It was all the time we had getting to know each other and all the little things that fed our relationship to be ready for marriage.  More importantly, now that we are married we are able to grow closer and better our relationship.  This would not be possible without the marriage but because of it we can continue and enjoy it.

I think to fully enjoy life, we cannot sit around and wait… wait for the next best thing and focus so much on events in the future (or dwell on past events).  Have you noticed or heard people with this attitude? I know I have been there.  When I notice it, it kind of makes me sad because I think of all they are missing out on in just sitting and waiting.  They really don’t believe their life has started and it has!  If your life has not started yet, start it today! Realize how much there is in life to be excited about and live for!  Put effort into today, set some goals and be excited about it… those events will be that much better.  Don’t wait until a specific day to start!

It has been an entire year…

I just realized that this week is the very week (just one short year ago), that Greg and I moved to Florida from our beautiful little hide-away in Colorado.  I say Greg and I, but I mean Greg moved ME here.  He had been away from his house a few months and brought me back to our what would become our home.

We know already from my Southern Living post that it is still quite an adjustment for me to live here, but it is getting a little bit better.  Some days are better than others.

I am amazed that it has already been an entire year though.  I keep having to recalculate to make sure.  Looking back over the past year… it is easy to focus on the fact that half of that time was spent job searching and the other half (and still) was/is spent on catching up after our cash pool had evaporated.  I make it sound bad, but really it was not because this year I have come to realize more and more how truly blessed we are.

We really are truly blessed.  We never went without.  We always had what we needed.  We even had at times what we did not really need – that is right, a few extras.  Our relationship has continued to improve and we are still so excited about life.  People looking at us walking down the street may not think – wow, they are blessed, or wow, they have it all together because… in just looking at us, you would not think so! We don’t drive new cars, we don’t have the latest fashion (or probably the fashion from 5 years ago), our shoes probably look good and worn,  we don’t eat out all the time… etc.  but what they do not know, what we know and what they do not see is what makes us truly blessed.  We have our health… we are on no medications, we have no disease, illness, sickness or pains.  We have each other and our relationship is awesome! I go to bed every night excited about another day with my husband.  Our bills and our income do not match every month, yet we still have some money in the bank.  I do not balance a check-book only because I don’t like to do it but truly, it does not add up.

So this post is not to talk about all the things that I don’t like here, all the things I miss, or all the things that are “different” but reflect on and be thankful for all the things that we do have..all of our many blessings.

We have so much! I am looking forward to another year, here, there or wherever because we really do “have it… together”, even if we don’t always “have it”… we have whatever it is together. We have  health, love, family, friends and more (and not to mention an awesome puppy, Chaco to add some joy in the house).

Have a blessed day! Look at everything you have today! wow!