The sun sets on another day…
I had been working so long that I only saw darkness, and today I went upstairs, and it was there. Light. The sunlight flowed into the house, and the floors and rooms felt as though they had been bathed in warmth, for in fact they had been showered with the sun.
Sure, the clouds came and went, but the bright sun of summer was showing its masterful glow if only for a while.
As sunrise approached I took my time and went to the beach. I had not done much, a weekend of swirling items that I was caught up in were coming to an end. I was happy for a moment with all that I was seeing, and then I reached the precipice of the beach, and the sun was there, setting slowly in the west and I watched it, ignoring the cold air and instead bathing in the fiery light, watching the waves crash against the shore.
(Well, until I couldn’t feel my hands anymore at least)
As I sat watching the sunset I thought about all the things that matter to me, and how little time they sometimes get. I also thought about all the transient items in my life, and how they take far too much time.
It reminded me of a conversation I had a long time ago. I had been talking to someone special for a long time. We learned a great deal about each other but the discussions were sometimes serious and sometimes flippant. One day I was asked a question, “Do you know how much time we have spent on the phone?” I had no idea because the amount of time did not matter to me, but it must have somewhere and it was one of the last times we talked. I thought about it, I thought about it for a long time, and I realized it mattered for different reasons. To me, it was an important time even when it was not important, to them, well, it obviously was a waste of time and not important. I suppose in today’s days of cell phones it would be easy to track that, but how many hours are wasted on social media and games when there are issues to be resolved. How many things can we track now that matter, or that don’t?
I know it is the end of a year, but I ask you to take a minute and look at this year, today, and tomorrow, and see what really matters. There are many things that have no choice, and many things that are, well, transient. Take your time each day and spend your time on those things that matter. I think you will find friends and family at the top, and maybe a few more things that matter will float around too. Find them, cherish them, and make a difference now and forever, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love life, and smile as the day goes by…