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Doug,
First, I must say I very much enjoy watching you drive and listening to your voice.
As for the question of enjoying time, I have had a lot of practice trying to enjoy the passage of time doing things I used to think were boring. When I was in the hospital before Jack was born and there was nothing to do and nothing to see, I had to find peace in my own mind. It came (if at all) in an awareness of the rythym of the day–the sound of the nurse’s feet coming to check my vitals, the phlebotomist’s cart coming across the hump at my door, rattling vials of blood, the kindness of a visitor’s smile, and the inevitable and much-anticipated evening ambien. Since I stopped working I have spent a lot of time waiting for my children to get home, waiting for soccer practice to be over, waiting for the clothes to be clean so I could fold them. I have had time to notice when the mailman comes, when the birds eat the berries off the holly trees, when the various plants bloom, and when the ozone smell is most strong.
I have not always liked this waiting. But spending time slowly is of much greater value to me now. I get up early to have a slow morning. I enjoyed cleaning my deck yesterday–it was hot and sweaty work, and at first I would do a bit and then take a break, doing something else. Alex was helping me out, and said ‘this is too hard”, and I said “no, this is what work feels like–it requires perseverence until the end.” Once I decided that I was going to do it, I relaxed into it and actually got something out of it. I think the key to enjoying time is to practice being still, to find ways to allow yourself to be bored and then to carefully fill your world with the things and people you love, work that is important to you (or maybe just have an attitude that of “I will do this”).
My children need to learn to endure the passage of time without requiring it to feel good to them. I think once they get past the desire to “enjoy” every moment, they will be able to enjoy time more fully.LikeLike
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Cindy, I wound up reading your comments at the lunch table today as I ate with a colleague, an electrician, and his apprentice. It was a wonderful moment in time. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
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I think it isn’t so much acutal time on the clock that matters…. I think it is the memories that you can make with the people in your life. It could be as simple as a hug which takes a few seconds, that can mean a lot to someone. It could be a word of encouragement, a laugh, or even crying sometimes.
I think what King Henry regretted was that he didn’t spend quality time with his family, his children. He seemed to realize that too late.
It is not Quantity that matters it is QUALITY.P.S…..
May you should have some music on your I-Pod ready to play for your opening. Although today was funny, surfing the channels and landing on opera. 🙂LikeLike
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It was an excellent ending to the series, wasn’t it?
I think King Henry wanted to stay forever young. He wasted a lot of time trying to hold on to that. I think that’s why he appreciated the second Katherine as much as he did. She cared for her previous husband and for him when they were old.
Now…to embrace the time we have. That’s the challenge.
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Yes, I loved the whole series… I hated to see it end. I wish they would pick up with Elizabeth and do the Golden Age. That would be cool!
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icanhasgrace 
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