I have often written about how much we have enjoyed going to the library in Holly Springs. It is more than that. We talk about life in the car, eat breakfast at the McDonalds on the way, and plan the day as we go. Last night we listened to the presidential debate so talked about that a little. After that, we talked about what life is like when one is in college, the relative merits of Old Navy, Target, and Goodwill. We talked about going to Lowes for materials to finish the cat tower.
It dawned on me that, at most, we only have two or three years of these wonderful Saturday mornings. So then we discussed how important it is to realize that, in our worldview, life is linear–going in one direction toward an important conclusion–not circular, repeating itself over and over. We discussed the importance of enjoying every stage of our life for what it is. I explained how life really became a lot easier about the time I started my Masters degree. I had complained to Grandpa Milo that I would be 34 years old by the time I got my degree.
He said, “How old will you be if you don’t get your degree.”
It was like a light went on in my head. There is nothing I can do about the speed and direction of time, so I should enjoy every moment for what it is. Now that I am 53, it is a great joy to get the most out of being at the stage in my life where I have something to offer people just starting out in their careers at work, homeschooling my kids, enjoying the companionship of Lorena, and being at the zenith of my career. I know that I have 7 or 8 years of this if there is no huge dynamic (like death or an inheritance of $10,000,000,000–the former being more likely than the latter). Then it will be time to move on to that joyful stage when my career is ramping down and I can start thinking of doing something crazy again, like moving to Mexico to teach at a University or going back to college to do a Ph.D. in something useless.
These Saturday mornings make me very happy and thankful to have been given such a life as I have. I am glad I learned all this when I did. I have hope my children will learn this even earlier than I.