Sometimes in life you have to just take a leap of faith and trust. And sometimes that involves walking away from gloomy situations and embracing life. Take a deep breath, close your eyes and have some fun, throwing caution to the wind. Such was the decision and direction of the weekend.
What is it about the human condition that makes us want to curl up and be quiet when we feel a bit melancholy? At least that is what I tend to do. Others may go out and party, wanting lots of noise, but I tend to want to stay under the covers, sipping hot tea while being wrapped up in a warm blanket.
Yet there is a time and place for everything. And after experiencing 6 deaths in 8 weeks of friends, or the friends of friends, my first inclination was just to stay home and have a very long date with Netflix. And initially, when a friend suggested a weekend trip to a close but fun town a few hours away, I thought, nah…
And then the losses of those people reminded me, once again, about how fragile and precious life is. And After some pondering, I came to the decision that this time, I should embrace life, have some fun, laugh, run, travel, have a drink, see some friends. And so it was. It started Thursday night, ,then after sleeping late and a good lunch, the trip began. The hotel was lovely and old. Lot’s of wood, and old elevators, and kind people. Oh yes, this is what life is about. Those road trips with friends.
And there was great music, lots of laughter, some good drinks, delicious food, a haunted hotel, a fire alarm at 5 am that turned into a light breakfast and great conversation over good coffee. There was lots of walking, trying some new things, doing some people watching and breakfast spent re connecting with a friend. There were missed fireworks, but enough fun and laughter that they weren’t even missed.This weekend was about celebrating and embracing life.
And that is the thing about life, it goes on. But it is our choice to pick up and live it. It’s our choice to embrace it, or stay in bed. Why would anyone choose to stay in bed and shy away from living, loving, laughing and striving? There are a thousands reasons, and most of them have to do with fear.
It’s safe under the covers. Or maybe the person in weary and needs a break. That’s OK, as long as they don’t stay in bed for an extended period.
And I learned something this past weekend. Trust your gut yes, but also don’t be afraid to step out of that comfort zone. We become stagnant if we do. Lean on your friends, love them dearly, they will be the ones who stand beside you. And that is what I am working o now. Whenever I go against my gut, i get into trouble. So I am listening a lot while I am reshaping my life and carving out a space that is truly Me. It’s scary and exciting, and wonderful. And I know I am going in the right direction.
Wouldn’t it be great though, and so much easier, if we had a compass for our life? Something that would tell us the road we need to be on? A way to avoid all those pitfalls, and decisions, slip up, let downs, sideways days and diagonal moves? Well, it sounds good in theory. But think about what we would miss – the people and experiences that we would ever know. Think of the scenery we would miss if we always went on the path we “should.” Some of my best moments, favorite memories and wonderful people have come from what was not planned, came from taking chances and going off the path.
Life is short. Live, Laugh, Love, take chances. Travel. Leap. Buy the shoes. Call the girl. Kiss the boy. Say I love you. Hold hands. Live with your whole heart. Don’t worry so much if your house is clean, or if your clothes are perfect. We are human for a reason.
And in the end, we will know we have lived.
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