Everyday Life for Four Seasons

Today Jeff and I celebrate the anniversary of our first date. It's a story that's been retold a thousand times and I'm sure everyone who hears it is bored of it, except for us. It's our special story. We we didn't think we would really like each other, and when we did finally meet, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we got along easily. We had a very nice time. After our date was over and I went to stay at Jennifer's house, my smile told her all she needed to know.

Actually, that's not completely true. It told Bill all that he needed to know - it gave Jennifer a place to start. Jennifer asks a million questions about everything. I probably smiled my way through all of that grilling!


I grew up with a very close relationship to the water and my parents have taught me a lot about the ebb and flow of things. The tide goes out, which can be upsetting if you want to swim or sail, but if you want to look for shells, or walk way out on the flats and see the land from a different viewpoint, it's a good thing. Things are in a constant state of change, and depending on how you look at it, it can be good or bad. Relationships are the same way. Take me and Jeff. We're in a time of change right now. I know because he's been spending a lot more time and energy "pitching in" around the house. I asked him why, and he said he likes to feel productive. At the same time, I've been spending significantly less time these past few months on household tasks. Our kitchen floor is dirty, my filing pile is through the roof, and I really should be better at putting the laundry away, but I just avert my eyes and take a few more photos of my kids instead of focusing on taking care of my "stuff." I am trying to find a balance between enjoying the moment and taking care of my responsibilities. I guess I'm trying to define my responsibilities - how important is the kitchen floor? Can I afford to spend less time taking care of it?

Back to our priority list - the list of things that makes us feel wealthy - I had noticed when we made it that "having a nice, or at least comfortable home" wasn't on the list. I do try to keep up the house, but having a nice house isn't something that makes a difference to me. You should see some of the places I've lived. I think for Jeff it matters more to have a nice home, but even for him, that didn't make it onto the list. Knowing this gives me some breathing room to focus on the other things and less on our home.

So, we'll see where all of this takes me and Jeff. Is our tide going out or coming in? Are we open to going in this direction? Will we be able to see the good things along the way? Or will we always be looking back, or looking ahead, to see what what we're missing?