As the fall season came upon us, my calendar quickly filled up with holiday events, some work related, some not, taking us right through the last two months of 2016.  My goodness, being this busy, the rest of the year is going to fly by – I want to slow it down!  I don’t want my life to pass by quickly. As they say, I want to ‘enjoy the journey’.  Fortunately, for the most part I do, and my husband does as well…as a matter of fact, every single day, the last thing he says to me as he walks out the door for work is “Have fun!”  Yes, every ordinary day – have fun.  Believe me, there are plenty of days when our jobs are not fun, but our attitude is that this is where you spend most of your time so finding satisfaction, stimulation, and joy is important.  In a frustrating day at the office, maybe the joy will be taking in the fresh air at lunch, having an interesting conversation with a stranger, finally solving a problem, or boosting someone else’s day with a compliment. Ordinary things.

The soon to be new year also gets one thinking about goals, especially if you are middle aged.  People around you are diagnosed with illnesses that impact their lives and you realize that things could change in an instant, that life will not go on forever.  You may think about what’s on your ‘bucket list’,  things you want to accomplish,  places you want to travel to.  When is it time to start checking off the list?  When do you start to really enjoy life?  What is enjoying life???  On a recent Sunday morning Peter and I were considering this very subject and when I asked this question we both looked at each other in silence.  Not until the next day did I give an answer!  Not so astounding…

Enjoying life is completely different for everyone.  One person finds joy at a sporting event, while another finds joy curling up with a good book.  (Yet another finds joy in Bloomingdales!)  It depends on so many things, not limited to age, health, where you live, mental status, personal preferences, etc.  The bottom line is that enjoying life is not something to do later, but something to be doing now, regardless of your circumstances.  Whether it’s having your daily iced mocha latte, listening to a beautiful song, wearing your favorite boots, or hearing your child say ‘I love you’ – this is it.  Sure, exotic vacations are fun but they are only a part of  the whole picture.  It is really the ordinary things we experience and appreciate every day that create joy and a fulfilling life. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!