1. Great poem I re-read this week…
Earlier in the week, I was sent a copy of The Station, by Robert J. Hastings. It’s a story-like poem that I read over forty years ago, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The gist is that we repeatedly think that once we achieve that next success or hit that next goal, we will be happy. The problem is… we do it… but the happiness we feel is fleeting. So then, we think the next goal will be “it.” But it isn’t. It truly is the journey… not the destination. I believe I’ve posted this in the past, but is absolutely worthy of being posted again today. Read it more than once. It was a good friend, Bob Mihalic, who sent it to me this week. He is a teacher and head football coach at Aurora High School. He handed out copies of this poem to his players this week as they got ready for their first game. I LOVE when coaches incorporate personal growth, life lessons, and character building into their culture. And I think it is super cool that these kids are getting these kinds of messages and lessons. He added one thing to the bottom of the copy he passed out (which I also loved!)… “Go Greenmen! Enjoy the journey! Beat Stow!”
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there our dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering-waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry.
“When I’m 18.”
“When I buy a new car!”
“When I put the last kid through college.”
“When I have paid off the mortgage!”
“When I get a promotion.”
“When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us. “Relish the moment,” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118, verse 24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
~ By Robert J. Hastings
2. Something I found funny last week…
My mother-in-law, Sharon, was in town last week and on her trip here she bought a hand towel with the “Southern 10 Commandments” on it. I found it pretty entertaining. See a pic of it below…
3. Wellness tip…
Balancing family life can be challenging. When we put all of our attention on work, our family relationships suffer. When we put all of our attention on the kids, but neglect our spouses, marriages suffer. If we spend all our time with family, our friendships and outside relationships weaken. The key is to carve out time for all of it. It’s important to do family functions and trips, but just as important for you and your spouse or significant other to break away alone to reconnect. It’s also essential to get out or away with friends. So… plan family events and trips… but also plan getaways or date nights with your spouse or significant other… and engage with your friends in a book club (a.k.a. wine club😜), a golf league, sporting event, or weekend getaway. Ignore something long enough and it will go away, or at least weaken. Take a look at where you need to put more time and attention. Then… give that area the time and attention it needs. It does not, and cannot, be either/or. If it doesn’t get on the calendar, it will likely not happen. Start planning TODAY!
