Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Snow(y) Day.

A week or so ago, I found myself sharing a conversation with my principal about making time for what's important.

Not just making time, but carving it... out of schedules, and calendars, and lives that oftentimes feel as though they've been poured from concrete.

We both sat there, our work clearly stacked in piles to the right and left of us and spread before us in uneven heaps and hiccups, and talked about friendships, and relationships, and balance.  Which, I think makes some bit of sense considering it was nearing five o'clock and we'd been dissecting data for two days by then.

We were matching up calendars one last time before heading out.  I reminded her Ruth was taking me to Disney World soon and she chimed in she'd scheduled a trip to the mountains.

A trip to the mountains?

During the school year?

(I gasped!)

She nodded, kicked back in her chair, and said, "I never would have done something like this but... "

"My friend asked me to."

(and she still wasn't going to go)

And then her friend sent her one of those emails... the forwarded kind with the music and the quotes and the pictures.  The kind I usually delete without ever reading.

(and she changed her mind)

Then we read that email together and I completely understood.  My principal clicked through the slides and I heard myself telling her, "Oh, that's good - I need to write that down."  She told me she'd always wanted to see snow like this...


Before I walked out of her office that day I had a renewed sense of confidence that I am in the right place at the right time.

I also couldn't get this book out of my head...


One of the slides in my principal's email said, "Don't compare your life to others.  You have no idea what their journey is all about."

I couldn't agree more but I'd also be lying if I didn't tell you that all I've thought about since reading that quote is, "...life is about the journey."

Because it is, isn't it?  If life was all about the destination would we bother calling it living?  I don't want to be remembered for the end - I want to be remembered for every fine day that comes before it.  And for that matter... I don't want to get to the end and have nothing to remember.

...Which leads to a whole other radical thought entirely!  I'm not going to wait for someone to tell me something is special.  Oh no, I think I'll make every single day special because...(scans the room for naysayers) I can.

I might even...

Take a snow day...

(at the beach)

(in March for that matter)

or teach a five year old how to color on napkins,

or the seven year old how to fold paper flowers,

or pull over on the side of the road just to look at the flowers...

(why not?)

(No, really...why not?)

.
   ..
 ..
...
.
.
...It's mine, so why not make it special?

2 comments:

My Menagerie said...

I enjoy the fact that everything keeps coming back to happiness. (and I nod)

You have helped me to understand what things in life are truly important and which ones just aren't. (I feel certain I may have told you this before, but... I figured I would do it one more time.)

...and this blog makes me think about it even more.

You're right... we should live each day to it's fullest and make each day worth remembering. Life is chalked full of unexpected happenings and what nots. We should soak them all in like a soponge.

...why?
Because that's what it's all about, right? The special moments, and even the moments that some people don't find quite so special. (like realizing that the tiny baby and the tall fella asleep in your bed leaves no room for you - or like seeing a smile on someone special's face while he's holding you and napping)

Sometimes it's the little things that matter most.

(...and that's all I've got 'cause I've got to go to class.) :)

Lindsey Roberts said...

Oh, I love this! I remember driving down the interstate one day when Dylan was 3. I was in a rush to get home as always and the mounds of laundry that awaited me, unpacking I would have to do and the desire to "get home before dark" all flooded my head and steered my driving... It was a beautiful day and wide open fields to the right and left of us. This whole thing hit me that day. I pulled over the car, said "Dylan, get out!" and we found the most amazing, green, grassy hills. We rolled down them for about 20 minutes every way we could! I think that was a defining moment in my parenting and life...

So, I will take those beach days, spontaneous detours, long routes home, "one extra book" at bedtime and whatever endless and unexpected opportunities that come up to LIVE this life fully! Love you girl.

:)

PS. Very proud of Sabrena :)