Life moves pretty fast

by Michele Boy | October 24, 2024

It rained in Hamilton County this weekend. Thunder boomed and rain soaked the ground, the fields, and put smiles on many faces in town.
Conversations in rural ag communities after a rain start off happier. 
“Hey, it rained.”
  We have a week without sports or extracurricular activities in our house and I have to admit I am appreciating the break. 
  While we are excited for basketball season to begin, the break gives us a chance to catch up on much needed tasks at home.
 Next week is Halloween. I swear I was grabbing a towel and headed to the pool two weeks ago! 
But now it’s almost HalloThanksMasYear (Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas and New Years) haha. 
The cooler temperatures are helping get me into that mode but honestly this year is flying. 
 I did get to see the comet finally with my family! It was a clear night, tons of stars in the sky. We looked at constellations and I was happy to share that moment with them. 
 Honestly, I didn’t want to go. In fact lately, since we go so much, my first instinct is to want to stop. Can’t we just stay home? 
But Tuesday there were two school events in the evening. My dread of not one more thing, ended up being Laughter, fun, and joy. 
  I thought look at what you would have missed if you just stayed home. 
The weather is beautiful. Yes we could use more rain, but it’s a great time of year to get out and walk, drive around to see the leaves changing colors, or attend a local event. 
Once in a while there is nothing wrong with just staying home in pajamas and doing absolutely nothing! 
  But sometimes pushing yourself to get outside and enjoy life is good too! 
  Watching the news, I have seen a few teens killed on the roads in accidents in western Kansas. It stops me in my tracks, breaks my heart, and I have trouble breathing for a bit.  
It  also frightens me as my daughter is coming of age. 
  I see so many on the road ignore traffic lights and stop signs wherever I go. I try to teach and explain defensive driving to her but soon she will start a journey that makes me terribly nervous!
 It reminds me to enjoy the moments more. We drove to Garden City last week and I was surprised at how she has grown up so quickly. 
The baby I walked around town with in my baby backpack, the little girl who held the edge of the stroller as she learned to walk, she is now starting to make her own  decisions and branch out a little. 
It’s exciting and scary all at once. 
 I hope and pray daily she continues to make good decisions and not take the path I took. 
But I miss that little girl. 
Do you stop and take in the moments? They are so precious. 
  In the words of Ferris Bueller from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - 
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I hope you get the opportunity today to stop and enjoy a moment and truly embrace it.
 On Tuesday evening, some dads got together with their daughters for an evening of volleyball. As I sat in the stands watching I could see the joy in the faces of the girls.  I could also see dads grimacing, stretching, pushing themselves harder. 
 I am at the age where I can understand how sore those men were going to be the next day. 
I am reminded of the time my dad played in a softball game against a bunch of kids at a company picnic. 
 He worked so hard and wasn’t going to let those kids win but the next day he couldn’t move from the recliner. 
 I didn’t understand then. Today watching the girls fall down, jump back up, seems like a priceless treasure I took for granted as a child. 
Seeing dads stretch before they served the ball or the slight twinge on their face as they went up to block reminded me of how precious time is.   
 Moving today is much harder but I enjoy it immensely. So to every  one of those dads who struggled to move the next day or two, you made some incredible memories with your girls.