In this time of crisp weather and holidays beating down the door, it lays the perfect groundwork for nostalgia to walk right in and make himself comfortable in the warmest parts of our hearts. My family lives in the warmest part of my heart, and nostalgia is always a welcomed and often an entertaining visitor. The cool thing about having nice memories, they have this strange way of transforming reflections of the past into goals for the future.
This all came about because I was thinking about my grandfather and the fact that it has been over two years since I last held his hand. Just after he passed, I was so sad I couldn't see through the hurricane of my tears to a time when thoughts of him would bring warmth and smiles rather than emptiness and cold. Now I think of him and his laugh at the dinner table, or the way damn was his favorite expletive. I never wanted to interfere when I was younger, but thinking of how my Mom and Grandpa would sit in the kitchen for hours after dinner while Mom did the dishes and Grandpa talked about family stories always made me happy. That time was theirs to talk and bond, share some laughs and frustrations.
But I digress. This is really about how people live their lives. I think it takes the reality of someone close to us passing in order for some of us to really assess the manner in which we live our lives. I think there is a fine line between taking life for granted and not living for fear of dying. Living recklessly is not the definition of taking advantage of the life you've been given. And on the flip side, living like a hermit so as to stay safe and healthy is not the definition of respecting the life you're been given.
Life is fragile, but spontaneity won't break it. Physical activity won't hurt it either. Working hard, having a family, traveling the world, being powerful in business - each of those scenarios has the potential to create a fantastic life full of happiness and love. The only requirement is that you do not squander the life you've been given by making poor decisions (that means no drugs, no walking on train tracks, no driving while intoxicated - common sense, you'd think).
I hope to walk the tightrope of life in such a way that I embrace spontaneity, but have the wisdom to know when a particular adventure should come to an end. I think the key is to surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your creativity and thirst for learning and exploring new adventures.
3 comments:
It's a little chilly here in Minneapolis, but luckily, there's plenty of family warmth. Malia and Taryn are the funnest!
Amen, sistah! Great post.
I've been learning to embrace spontaneity as well, which has been hard (you know me, the ever planner), but definitely a good thing to work on. It's like after I finished college, I stepped out of my "bubble" and realized that there's so much out there to see and do and learn. And yes, cliche as that sounds, it's true!
P.S.
I'm listening to Christmas music right now. :)
Life is full of adventures and the memories of our past. Most of us are fortunate to have pleasant memories and full exciting adventures awaiting.
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