Life Isn't A Race!

The Queen of England was in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby but the Princess of the Universe was at my house. My son and his wife went to the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, also known as the Derby for the locals, so Princess stayed with the grandparents. Friday nights, after the always long work week, and a three year old are usually not a great combination. By Friday night I am usually dragging but three year olds bop till they drop. Chloe’s little game of running away and making me catch her is getting less funny. For the second time she got away from me in a restaurant and ran into the kitchen! She was laughing of course but all I could imagine was someone’s dinner flying through the air!

I found myself coughing through the night on Friday and by the time I woke up on Saturday I was congested. Either my cold from a week or so ago was flaring up again or a new cold was staking its claim on me. After taking Chloe home around midday on Saturday, I took it easy for the rest of the day. I did make a quick trip to the music store where I purchased some excellent DVD’s of Carlos Santana and some jazz notables performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

I went to bed on Saturday night feeling rather congested so I missed my monthly trip to the monastery on Sunday. I had also planned to meet my friend, Fr. Dennis, for lunch. These monthly trips are an oasis in my life and I was very sorry to miss them. It was especially difficult to stay home on such a beautiful day. After yesterday’s rainy and overcast weather, it was mood lifting to have such a beautiful day on Sunday.

Now it is time to get pumped up for another week of work. Like many people it takes me a while to get out of first gear on a Monday. I once described myself as a crock pot in a world of pressure cookers. It is a fairly accurate description. In the race of life….by the way, it really isn’t a race….I am a tortoise and not a hare. However, if I remember the story correctly, the tortoise won. So what if it’s Monday? Monday is just another 24 hour period of time. Try to love of every minute of the day. Don’t live it like it’s a race. Live your life like it’s a joy just to be alive. Over the weekend I read in the newspaper that an old high school friend had died. He was a few months younger than me. He doesn’t have today. We do so appreciate it. Life is not a race. Don’t run like it is. Slow down. Smell the flowers. Its spring! Celebrate life!