Day 775

How do you balance a life that is so wonderfully full? Full of family, friends, creative ventures, housekeeping, yard work, volunteer opportunities and DOGS? I wish there was a magical answer to that question where a "one size fits all," but that doesn't exist.

When I was younger, I could keep all the plates spinning like the circus entertainer. Four children, "kid sports and activities," school (my children's and my teaching), college classes, professor jobs, home owner responsibilities, parents, family, friends, dogs and more! Looking back, it is a blur of memories and exhaustion. In attempts to balance all of the "hats" I wore, there were certainly times when I let people down...maybe even myself. However, I survived with only a few regrets. In retrospect, there would be little that I would change...or could have changed.

Fast forward to glorious retirement! How is it possible for me to still find balancing my time and efforts to be a challenge? There are fewer responsibilities, but then my 'speed' has diminished a bit. The beauty of this part of the journey might just be that...life flows more slowly.

If I could go back in time, I might have tried to slow things down just a bit. Perhaps my memories would be a little more vibrant than they are and I might have prioritized the most important things instead of running the "Rat Race Maze" so frantically.

My advice would be to slow down no matter what part of life's journey you are on. The most poignant memories will be those where you took the time to be "in the moment" and present. Even though I have no regrets in the past, now I choose to balance each day with moments to savor. As for dogs, past and present, they help to keep me balanced, present and grateful for the life surrounding me.