Time rich.

photograph taken by About Today Photography.

Summer. She is quite fleeting.

In the window span of the school holidays we fit in so much. At the start the weeks seem to stretch out like a never-ending expanse of time, and then swiftly tumble ever faster towards the impending return of school and routine.

 Six weeks. Six weeks which are different for everyone. For some, summer is just those two treasured weeks of annual leave which they’ve managed to haggle off, spent doing nothing, recuperating. For others that time off they feel has to be lived in every moment, enjoying it all and crammed full with everything they really wanted to actually do in six weeks but don’t have the luxury of so end up eeking out every last moment then returning to work for some rest. For others it is a six-week long marathon of child care, summer clubs, sports events, family trips and days out.

It differs from each household and varies with each new stage of life for all those who inhabit it. I’m not saying one way is better than another – I’m just saying Summer, she is fleeting.

Whether your summer was spent self-indulgently in bliss or juggling and spinning plates simultaneously, we are all about to watch the summer pass by. So, I wonder, did you miss it? Or were you present?
I ask this question each year, of myself. And in all honesty I think the answer normally is; I was there for some bits…and a frantic frazzled spinning top for others. I think this is normal but it isn’t necessarily how I’ve wanted it to be.

I wonder how many of us started off with grand plans as we sketched out our summer, especially this one, as we felt the ease of lockdowns and the embrace of friends once more. How many of us started it with a list of things that were going to be ticked off. Then missed it – it flashed before our eyes, and we are now back in the ‘every day’? How many of us felt time disappeared?

This year was different, summer looked and felt different. We had big plans. We did big things. And I can genuinely say I was present for it all. soaked it in, revelled in it and soared on the endorphins straight back into September. This year, this summer we were time rich.

What does it mean to be time rich?

Well time is forever passing us by, it is the most valuable and wasted commodity which we all have a limited amount of. To spend your time with someone is the greatest gift you can give, to spend your time doing good things that bring you joy, is your greatest power. I try to explain this to my kids – time is precious, spend it wisely. I try to constantly remind myself of it. We are all guilty of procrastination sometimes. I can idly while away the time doing what feels like everything but have achieved, well, nothing. I can spend so much time worrying, stressing, rushing, that the day has passed and all that’s left is an ache in my stomach because I forgot to feed me - but it is now too late and all I want to do is sleep. I can end my day and the only comment I have when asked how it was is; it was ok.
So, to be time rich – was the feeling that time had no bounds on what we could achieve – it was not something we were running out of, wasting, or having to fill. It wasn’t a list of things to do, it was something to just let be. We could just be. Don’t get me wrong we made plans, booked things in, and organised time. By this, I mean that if something went wrong, which it did, we moved on. If something went right, we appreciated it, enjoyed it, flowed with it. We didn’t worry about time, we realised we were the masters of our own with the unmistakable superpower to harness all the joy, peace, productivity, and goodness in each moment.

This summer we got married. On a mountain, in the sunshine, surrounded by loved ones, ate a homecooked meal, and were humbled by our people. We then climbed mountains, swam lakes, paddled rivers, ran trails, hiked through history, cycled through forests, and saw live theatre. I also worked most of it! When looking back, we did so much and some days we did so little.

Some little things that have helped me feel time rich:

-        Not wearing a watch on my weekends. To be honest I forget to wear it during the week too.

-        Only spending my time on people, places and things I really want to…including myself

-        Planning little treats to pivot some time around, like outdoor theatre performances, or a two day yurt holiday, or even games night with some friends and family, a cook out...the possibilities are endless!

-        Not judging my day against anyone else’s.

The summer may be fleeting, but time is never-ending, so let’s make sure it is well spent.