As a child, I remember counting down the days until summer vacation began. Then about a month and half into it, I was counting down the days for it to be over. Summer was always fun and full of adventures, but I loved the daily routine that school offered.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I appreciate routine; perhaps sometimes a bit too much. But I do spice it up every now and then, especially during the summer months. My son and I spend our days hiking in the mountains, playing in the streams, vacationing and simply exploring the city we live in.
By living in a big city, there is much to do and see all around us. It’s always surprising when we discover fascinating places near us, that even after 20+ years of residing here, I never knew existed.
Now that I have a child, my opinion of summer ending has changed. No longer is it something that I look forward to. When summer first starts out, we always have so many plans. But, I’ve discovered a disturbing trend lately as each summer rolls by. They’re shorter! Not technically, but they sure feel that way.
At the end of the summer I look back on our mental to-do list and half of the adventures were never checked off. It’s not for lack of trying, but where has the summer gone? Why do they go by so quickly?
Perhaps it’s because we are not always present in the moment as we should be. Most of us naturally, and many times unintentionally, think forward to future events. We think about what we will do tomorrow. What adventure we will go on tomorrow, instead of fully enjoying the adventure of today.
Even though it felt short, it was a very good summer. We traveled to new places, saw amazing things and created lasting memories. But next year, my plan is to be fully present in each moment, to make each and every moment count. Next summer’s theme – “No moment wasted.”
Tomorrow will come on its own, but today is already here. So today is where the focus should be. Enjoy the now!
This post was in response to the Daily Post prompt: August Blues
“As a kid, were you happy or anxious about going back to school? Now that you’re older, how has your attitude toward the end of the summer evolved?”
Me - Who am I? 
“No moment wasted.” Bravo!
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Thanks, Eric! Our moments are so easily taken for granted. I plan to change that.
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We have more moments available to us than we realize sometimes! “No moment wasted.” Exactly.
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We sure do! All we have to do is open our eyes to see them.
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I remember as a young mom I was doing some back to school shopping. The clerk who was checking me out asked if I was getting the items for back to school. I told her yes. She said it made her sad. I asked why. She said she saw so many parents coming through and making comments about being so excited to have the kids go back to school. She told me they were only little once and she hated sending her kids back. I never was excited about them going back to school, and that has stuck with me forever. It makes me kind of sad too…….
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That is sad. Like the store clerk, I’ve heard the same comment many times as well. She made an excellent point in saying that our children are only little once. That time passes by so quickly, so instead of being in such a hurry for them to leave the house, we should be cherishing each moment that they are there.
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I know I miss mine and their littleness.
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There are times I make comments and accidentally delete them, or the computer does something…like burp. Anyway, I take it as a sign that my comment was not the right thing I wanted to say.
I’m happy to hear you making a commitment of living in the moment. It’s something I strive to do, but I trip myself up — because I’m a human with some work left to do. But, I will get there. Each moment is a new opportunity.
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That makes two of us. I ‘fail’ on a daily basis over and over again. But, I’m trying. I think that’s really what counts the most. We try. Some don’t.
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