A bit of a sentimental post this time as my son very recently graduated from high school, with lots of family and friends commenting on how quickly his school years have flown by. And yes, in a way they certainly have done. 13 years later and just like that he is Finito!
But it has got me thinking that if you consider all of the things that we have done, the places we have travelled to and the challenges along the way, time goes by very slowly as well.
If you look at some of the cherished memories in your life such as family celebrations or great holidays, just 5 years ago seems like an eternity. In 2015 we took a summer (for the first time not for snow) trip to North America. The kids have grown up significantly since then and when you look back at the photos you can see that it not just seems like ages ago, but you also can’t believe the kids looked so young as recently as 5 years ago.
So, back to the point of this blog post…. yes time goes by so slowly and so quickly. This affords you plenty of time to do some really cool stuff and make memories along the way, yet if you keep putting things off, you could end up at a point and say ‘where did those years go, and why didn’t we do more’.
So, take each day as a blessing and make the most of it! Carpe Diem!
Graduation Day
Not sure I remember too much about my Graduation Day, way back at the end of 1989, except I do remember cutting my school trousers into shorts after I got home – a 5 year old pair of trousers as well – what a rebel! There may also have been a pile of school shirt pockets, but that’s a bit blurry.
It’s different now! School seems to mean a lot more to students and graduation day (and the lead up to it) in 2020 is pomp and ceremony, emotionally draining whilst marking the start of a new beginning.
My experience is that teachers build up great friendships with the students, but it is the unusual type of friendship that has an end date. For classmates, some of who you have seen every day for 13 years, suddenly you might never see them again. So, the emotional roller coaster ride comes to an end the day after graduation day…then there is just schoolies to go!
It’s expensive to travel…but there’s nothing quite like it!
You can certainly blow a bucket load of cash on a big trip, especially if going O.S.! On one trip we averaged $1,000 a day (all-inclusive in North America) and that wasn’t eating at restaurants most of the time (lots of nuggets and chips), just staying in decent hotels, touring around and sightseeing. I know you can travel a lot cheaper than that, but I would only class that trip as mid-range, while making the most of every day, granted that the skiing probably bumped it up a bit!
You might say ‘I can’t afford a trip like that’ which might be the case, but I have such fond memories of that (and other) trips which I wouldn’t swap for anything – picture ice skating on Christmas Day at the World UNESCO listed Old Quebec City.
At the time I didn’t think that we could afford that trip either. But I had set myself that goal and was determined to reach it.
You can also have some incredible experiences locally as we have all learned through COVID. There is a lot to see at home, either within driving distance or a short flight away – these trips can also be expensive, but it’s so worth finding the time and funds to make some incredible memories.
So, make the time to travel and experience this magnificent world we live in, and then when you reach one of those milestone moments you will have much to look back on.
Self-development
10 years goes by ‘in the blink of an eye’, right? It’s true, with the day to day grind and Groundhog Day seeming to happen week after week and month after month it’s easy for time to just fly by and you are in exactly the same position as this time last year, and possibly will be this time next year.
Procrastination is all our biggest enemy if we want to improve our own situations in whatever way to achieve some of our goals. Let’s say you have been wanting to learn a different language for 10 years but haven’t yet taken the steps required to get there. 10 years is plenty of time to learn any language with the amount of resources available now – so it’s about having the self-discipline to make every day count which will enable us to achieve our goals.
I’m not saying I am necessarily good or bad at this, as there are plenty of ways I can better spend my spare time – other than binging the latest streaming channel – but it’s this time, over weeks, months and years that can truly make a difference in your life. And, again when you get to a point in your life, whether it be a milestone birthday (or whatever) you can truly say that you have achieved something special.
Looking back
When you look back over a period of time it’s hard not to feel sentimental and wonder where all of those years have gone. You want the good times to last and you would love to experience some of the joyful events again and again. That would help us to achieve the true happiness that we all want.
But that’s not how life works!
As hard as it is, it’s up to us to embrace change, look back on our limited time with gratefulness and be happy in all that the present and future holds.
