I know, I know.....I'm early. For goodness sake, we have plenty of summer left.....there's still Wing Fest this weekend, outdoor picnics to attend, evening walks to sweat through.....
I was chatting with co-worker Krystina yesterday, and we couldn't help but scroll through our fall-time faves......hot apple cider, oversized sweaters, pumpkins on porches, school buses and kids with backpacks, crunching leaves underfoot....... runny noses too, but let's stay positive.
I love fall. I lurrrrve it!!! It's less sweaty, more cuddly, and just plain smells good.
But all this day dreaming about the change of season has me thinking.
What in the world happened to summer of 2010?? For reals. Where did it go?
And has any one else noticed that as you get older, time seems to go more quickly......??
So my mind moves from the excitement of fall to the lament of a lost summer in t-minus 3...2....1....
Let's face it-- life has gotten, well, fast for many of us- we get caught up in the rush of work, family, housekeeping, schedule juggling......
For others of us, it's an opposite struggle-- we can feel left out of the rush, watching friends, neighbors and family members rushing about, too busy to remember that we need them- we need to connect. We're here.
Looking back at summer, I know it was full of activity- my kids keep me running from one thing to the next, and once you throw in work, and a home to care for, I can forget stopping to think much less finding time to have a lazy afternoon with my grandfather--- who I know would love my visit. (insert lump in my throat here.)
So, you thought this post was about autumn- did you? :) Well, we have time for that, friends.....if we make time. I want to smell autumn, feel it in the air, and most of all I want to share it with those I love. And for me that means slowing down a bit. For some of you it means reaching out to those you care about who might be moving too fast and reminding them that you want time with them....
I will not throw out wordy advice about your scheduling habits-- trust me, it's all I can do to work on my own. What I will say is that we can gain a lot by stepping back and making an assessment of what's working.....and what isn't.
For those of us who find life to feel somewhat like being swept up in rushing flood waters-- it may be time to remove some activities from our schedules.....
Maybe for others, it's more of an issue of not scheduling enough....time with friends, time to exercise, time to learn something new. It's just as frustrating to watch the flood waters rush past while you stand helplessly on the shore as it is to be caught up in them.....
It's a balance, and like most things in life, it's different for everyone-- but let's work on this one....
When you smell autumn creeping in....smell it. Think of your friends here-- and of this post, and make the changes you want for your best fall season.
(and gosh darn it- have a little hot cider!!) (sniffle.)
-Jen Zeitler
Compeer Staff and Volunteer
