Enjoy Every Moment

It can’t possibly be 2024, can it? I know each year we say the previous year flew by, but in this case, it seems like the last 4 years have been a blip. I can still remember picking my son up from school on a Friday afternoon when the Governor had just announced that things would be shut down “for two weeks” to get this newly discovered virus under control. It seems like yesterday, but it was almost four years ago.

I’ll be turning 37 this year, despite many people asking me if I’m old enough to vote. Thanks to a better diet and exercise the last couple years, I still feel like I’m in my twenties. I feel blessed to have that health and hope it will continue.

Our son, Kingston, will turn 10 years old later this year, which probably blows my mind more than anything else. I’ll never forget that feeling of holding him in my arms in the hospital room moments after he was born. I can’t believe nearly a decade has passed since then. And our little Ava will be finishing up kindergarten in the spring and preparing for first grade. It just doesn’t seem possible, but it is.

And that’s the reality of it all. None of us are here for very long and it does, and will, go by quickly. That’s nothing to be depressed over, but it is something we should be mindful of. How can we make the most of our time here? How do we want to spend it and who do we want to spend it with? That’s something I wrestle with constantly.

My life stays pretty busy, as regular readers of this column know. Between running a small business, serving in elected office and numerous boards, plus having two young kids, there aren’t many “free” hours in the day. How I balance all of those things is an ongoing challenge, but generally speaking, family comes first for me. I want to be there when my son throws a touchdown. I want to be in the front row when Ava does ballet. When Blair is recognized for her great work in the medical field, I want to be the first one on my feet to clap.

My point is this: each moment we have is a blessing. Let’s embrace that and enjoy every moment. Here’s to a great 2024!