Monday, November 29, 2010

Slow down

There are days that we all dread, days we look forward to, and days we take for granted. I think there comes a point for most of us, that we take for granted that there will be a tomorrow. I myself try to appreciate every day but at the same time, I constantly plan for the future. But what if today truly was your last day, would you be happy with how you spent it, what you said, who you smiled at?
But Joanna, I have to go to work and pay my bills you say?! Of course, I understand that we can’t all run off to Hawaii and live a life of relaxing on the beach, if you are even into that sort of thing, but it isn’t always about that. Sometimes it’s just about, did you talk to everyone you wanted to? Tell everyone you wanted to that you love them? Did you spend way too much time at work, dreading every second of it, wishing you were somewhere else, only to come home and not be able to appreciate any other part of your day? Well, I would say you are taking the day for granted.
I’m not a “live your life to the fullest” expert, but I do try to make sure I live my life without regrets. Are there things I put off, sure we all do! But there are simple things I make sure I do because let’s be honest, you never really know. And to me it’s the simple things that life is all about.
For example make sure if you want to call someone you do it. That saying, “don’t put off what you can do today,” well that’s for a reason. If someone pops into my head out of nowhere, I feel like maybe it’s for a reason, so I text, e-mail or call if I can. I do simple things like try to take my time as much as I can. I think I learned that from my family who when we were younger and we walked in a group, we walked so slowly. I would watch as everyone passed us and wonder why my parents didn’t walk faster. Now as an adult I sometimes pull on my husband’s arm and say, “hey slow down,” and I have pretty long legs so I could keep up, but why not slow down? Little does he know I’m looking at everything, not just what I’m going to spend his money on, but taking in more than most probably realize but someone spent the time to put those little details around, I want to see them.
But I will admit, I have terrible road rage. There are times I get so angry that the saying, “don’t lay an egg,” comes to mind. Later when I am out of the car I say, “next time I’m going to stay calm, it isn’t worth getting so upset” and it usually lasts until someone does something stupid with their car and puts me in harm’s way, then I’m back to releasing all of my anger at someone who doesn’t even know because now they are in front of me, or won’t even look back over at me because they know they swerved into my lane and now are afraid to get the wrath of a New Jersey driver.
My point, no one is perfect. Everyone is in a rush at some point. Sure, it’s hard because we live in a scheduled world, and when children get involved the schedule just gets more insane, and life just passes faster and faster so you feel like you have to catch up somehow. But when I look outside and now all the leaves are gone, I don’t say, “where did they all go?!,” because I was watching as they turned from green to yellows, oranges and reds, and this isn’t something I did because I was at home, this is something I make sure I do every year. I also hunt for the first blooms on the trees, hold my husband’s hand when I am near him, tell my mother I love her when we hang up the phone, play with my nieces and nephews anytime I can, and take my time any time I can because I know there will be a rush coming again.
Enjoy what time you have, say hello, say goodbye, do not think to yourself “next time” think to yourself “this is my time” because to truly live shouldn’t be for vacations or holidays, it should somehow be in everyday.

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