Did your parents or grandparents ever say that to you when things weren't going quite your way? Mine sure did! I was thinking about that today while sipping herbal tea with mom after Saturday afternoon Mass at St. Leonard's, the church at the retirement community that she now calls home. We were talking about this coming summer and our biennial family reunion, a gathering of siblings, our children, and now our grandchildren. The conversation included her wondering how many of us would be able to make it to the Tennessee lake this year, something that has become much more challenging as our family has grown and our children have grown up to have children of their own.
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| Edgar Evins State Park at Center Hill Lake, TN |
I must say that I am one of the fortunate ones, at least as far as summer planning goes. Most of my career has been spent at the local Catholic school, first as a fifth grade classroom teacher, then an assistant principal, and now as an art teacher. I won't have any trouble setting aside a week in July to spend with my extended family, unlike my daughter and son-in-law and some of my siblings and their families who work at year-round jobs.
And yet, I still find myself longing for more time...time to cook a meal for my husband...and actually savor eating it...time to spend with my two grandsons...time to travel with friends who are now retired...time to finish all the unfinished artwork in my cluttered spare bedroom...time to read all the books on my "must read" list...time to just "be", sitting on my back deck in summer or taking a walk in the park on a sunny late morning in October.
I know that I am not alone with my feeling that time is all too quickly passing me by. After all, I'm a member of the Baby Boomer generation and there are quite a few of my fellow Boomers who are just like me. We've raised our children and now have grandchildren. We're closing in on retirement age, but aren't there yet. We aren't always so sure that we'll be able to afford retirement even when we do reach that magic number. And so we wait...for leisurely meals...precious grandchildren...distant places...creative endeavors...opened pages...sunshine...and time.
And that, dear reader, is how the cookie crumbles.
I must say that I am one of the fortunate ones, at least as far as summer planning goes. Most of my career has been spent at the local Catholic school, first as a fifth grade classroom teacher, then an assistant principal, and now as an art teacher. I won't have any trouble setting aside a week in July to spend with my extended family, unlike my daughter and son-in-law and some of my siblings and their families who work at year-round jobs. 
And yet, I still find myself longing for more time...time to cook a meal for my husband...and actually savor eating it...time to spend with my two grandsons...time to travel with friends who are now retired...time to finish all the unfinished artwork in my cluttered spare bedroom...time to read all the books on my "must read" list...time to just "be", sitting on my back deck in summer or taking a walk in the park on a sunny late morning in October. 
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