The Garden of Life

Why is it I have way more to talk about and share than there are days in the week?
I could combine them all into a Week in Review collage and still not be able to cover it all.
It's not that my life is full of exciting adventures and stories to tell.
I'm not even one of those people who lives life to its fullest.
I just live a full life.

I live a quiet life.

A life centered around family and a few good friends.

Each week a rerun of the previous week.

I garden.

I babysit grandkids.

Then I garden some more.

We go for rides, getting a glimpse of our neighbor's lives through the gardens they tend.

Then I babysit some more.

We have family dinners.

Then I garden some more.

Occasionally we travel South to visit family.

Or head to exotic places and dream the life we wish we had.

Many of our travels are just across the street, visiting good friends and drinking wine on their porch. 

We pick berries along the side of the road and weathered glass on the beach.

We read.  Watch tv.  Play games.

I bake.  And eat.... Then bake some more...

Then we visit with the kids and laugh with the grandkids.

No, I certainly do not live an exciting life. 

I live a full life, a life I'm content with most of the time.

 My cousin's wife passed away a year ago.  She wasn't very old. 

He posted the following on his Facebook wall:

"Her message to you would be - if you have always wanted to do something and you’ve been waiting for the right time. It’s now."

Every time I read that passage, it brings tears to my eyes. 

Here's a woman who lived life, she just didn't have enough life to live.

That statement hits home because, you see, I'm still waiting for the "right time...."

I'm not certain what I'm waiting for, but I'm waiting....  

It seems I've been waiting most all my life for something.

To move south to live near family.

To travel across the U.S.

To live in a little cottage on the water. 

To learn to play the piano.

To travel to Maine to eat lobster.

Yes, that's me.... always waiting to experience life.

For the freedom and gumption to go, do, and be. 

I know my day will come to go, do, and be.

And I also know I'm supposed to be right here, right now.

Living in the present. 

But still, that statement makes me uneasy because it's so true.

We don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Or if there will BE a tomorrow.

Many people feel that since we're retired, we should be traveling the world.

Doing exciting things!  Being exciting people!

Or at least not being so tired from babysitting. 

And I have to agree that babysitting grandbabies was not on my list of things to do when retired. 

But I also believe this is where we're supposed to be at this time in our life.

This is who we are.

This is our chosen life. 

Family.

For now anyway.

Before we know it we'll have the freedom to pursue our dreams.

We can be those people others think we should be. 

More importantly, we can be the people WE think we should be....

It'll be interesting to see how our life will change....

I know one thing. 
In my next chapter, I do plan on seeing if the grass really IS greener somewhere else.
And I do plan on traveling the world, or at least the United States.
And I do plan on living a fuller life, living life, experiencing life, learning about life. 

My life will always be my children and my family but it's time to start checking things off my Life List.
I don't want any regrets.