August 2019 (almost on time!)

August catch-up

August was another busy travel month.  Len and I hauled the 1938 Buick out to the car show in Sechelt and took some extra time to visit with all the family out there.  We stayed in a room we outfitted in my parents rental home in Sechelt.  

Other than the tail pipe coming off half-way home, it was an uneventful trip and good to see everyone.

And yes, a couple of weeks later I did another work week in Vancouver.  I know, I know!

Other than that, I mostly did all the regular things and tried to keep  my garden going and also have some fun.  It was a bit hard as the weather STILL was marginal at best, and often cooler than usual.

I enjoyed the times we did simple things like going for a bike ride and visiting friends at Sheridan Lake,  We did a spontaneous thing and took a full day off of EVERYTHING and drove up to Barkerville for the day.  It was fun - we took a town tour, saw a musical review and ate ice cream.  The drive was lovely and the company comfortable.

What I learned in August is that "time marches on".  Staying with my parents, both in their 90s brings certain things to the front of mind.  Yes, there will be a time when I will likely hobble, not walk, when I won't hear or see clearly, a time when the world will get smaller, narrower and harder to navigate.  My Mom is a good example of having spirit and the will to remain involved and to do as much as she can until she can't.  Fighting up-stream, I call it.  Dad had a stroke a few years ago, and added to his very different outlook for life, this means his life is so very narrow and limited.   At this point in life, pleasure and joy comes in small ways.  Watching the birds coming to the feeder, enjoying a glass of cider, having family around, eating together and even watching tennis together - these are joys - these are pleasures.

Knowing we are all on some version of the same pathway means that I don't want to waste a lot of time while I can still drive, see, hear and move around.  I want to be able to look back with pleasure at the memories of things I was able to learn and do with no sense of "I should have done more".  I expect I will still have that feeling, but I am going to do my best to live as fully as I can for as long as I can.  That means being more mindful of the choices I am making, saying YES more often, and not letting fear hold me back.  And being more spontaneous!  And taking advantage of every opportunity to experience the big and small joys of life.