The lesson of the pontoon boat

Dad wanted to buy a pontoon boat. The people that lived across the street in Key Haven had one that, if memory serves, they wanted to sell. Dad thought it would be great to get it, have little Lehman parties on the canal. And he would have loved it. But he kpet putting it off and putting it off. And then he got sick. And then he died. He never got his pontoon boat.
I try to remember this simple lesson of putting things off, one that he ceretainly had no intention of teaching. If there is something that would bring me joy, I should try to do that, even if it means sacrificing something else. Even if the time may not be quite right. For so many things in life, the time may never be just right: getting married, going back to school, having children, taking a much needed vacation. Life does, indeed, get in the way. Although I try to remember the pontoon boat, I am as guilty of everyone of putting things off until a better time. If I hadn't just bitten the bullet and made plans, I never would have gone to Key West last week and I would have missed out on watching the girls bond with each other and us, on quiet time with Patrik, on seeing their faces gaze through the glass bottomed boat at the snarly barracuda, on seeing them handle crabs and sea cucumbers in the aquarium's touch tank. And that would have been a great loss that I wouldn't have realized I'd missed if I hadn't gone.
I put things off all the time. I want to spend more time with Kerri but there's the laundry and the dishes and the homework...I enjoy taking the kids to the park but there always seems to be something ELSE to do...I don't see enough of my brothers or my mom because we are all so caught up in our own lives.
Tsk. Dad is surely shaking his head at us. There is nothing to say that today will not be our last. And so far I have spent my day thawing marinara, washing clothes, unloading the dishwasher. I would surely be regretful at the pearly gates if I didn't make a concious choice to do more of the things that bring me joy this day.
I will try harder to keep in mind that time on this earth is not infinite. That what I do today could bring a wonderful memory to those I love. That, yes, there is work and chores and bills to pay.

But there is also a pontoon boat with twinkly lights and Jimmy Buffet on the radio and a sunset to revel in. And I want to be on it.

Glorious Key West

We came home from our vacation on Sunday and I could just rave about it. We spent maybe 3 daylight hours total inside. The rest of the time was spent with the girls turning to prunes in the pool and Patrik and I lazing around in the sun (or shade by day 3). The house we stayed at belongs to his sister Claudia and I cannot thank her enough for letting us stay there. It was really beautiful and the pool with the waterfall was the best part...just ask the girls. It was a week of bliss and though we were ready to come home (Laura in particular was getting homesick in the end), I'd go back in a minute. Patrik got to fish and hang out with his friends and I barely even cracked the book I took. We saw lots of Patrik's mom, which was great because today she leaves to return to Slovakia. I would have liked to see more of Claudia, but she had her own busy life going on. Next time...
It was warm and sunny the entire trip except for a little rain the first day which cleared pretty quickly. Everyone is a little tan and thanks to my vigilance with sunblock on the kids no one got burned except me! The last two days in Jupiter have been quite chilly so I miss Key West already! It was so good for all of us to spend some real quality time together. I didn't go to the La Concha (which isn't even the La Concha anymore) because I was afraid it would make me sad and I didn't want to burst my bubble. I did, however, go by mom and dad's house on Key Haven and was relieved to see that it didn't affect me like I'd worried it would. Someone has built a big concrete stilt house right next to it and there were 5 cars parked outside the old place. Turns out that it isn't mom and dad's place anymore so it was okay.
I go back to work on Saturday and the kids are back at school, Patrik back at work. So it's back to the rigors of daily life. The memories of Key West will get me through for awhile and I am sorry I waited so long to go. Life is too short to put off things that bring you joy.

Go find your bliss.