Though I didn't believe it when I was young, I certainly believe it now ... the older I get, the more quickly time goes by. Yesterday as I was sitting in my son Matt's family room watching a kid's cartoon called Masha and the Bear with my oldest granddaughter, I found myself wondering how in the world my son can possibly be old enough to have children of his own. It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in my living room watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with him as a little boy, and now he's the father of his own two precious little girls. Seriously ... where did all those years go? For that matter, where did just the last year go? How can it already be the first day of another new year? Will this year fly by even faster than the years that have already come and gone? Hmmm ... seems to me there's a lesson for me in those questions ... a big gigantic lesson about paying attention to the important moments of life ... the moments that make life worth living ... the moments that matter most of all ... the moments spent with those whom I love and who love me in return.
One thing I can pretty much count on to be true each time I visit Canada in the winter is that there will be snow ... lots and lots of snow. While it hasn't snowed at all since I arrived this time, there was already quite a bit of snow on the ground when I got here and the temperatures have been plenty cold enough to make sure it sticks around for a good long while. There's another thing I can always count on when I'm in Canada during the winter ... those crazy Canadians keep right on going no matter how cold it is outside or how much white stuff is on the ground or falling from the sky. People walk their dogs ... which, by the way, I totally don't understand because Ollie will barely run outside to potty and then his feet freeze so I have to go out and carry him back inside. But I digress ... it's quite apparent that Canadians actually embrace and enjoy participating in various wintertime outdoor activities from ice skating to hockey to skiing to sledding ... hearty folks, those Canadians are ... hearty folks for sure.
It didn't take long at all for my son and daughter-in-law to understand that winter lasts a heck of a long time in Canada, and they, too, quickly learned to embrace and enjoy all the different wintertime activities. They figured out how many layers of clothing they need to wear, which kind of wool socks and boots best protect their feet ... gloves, hats, snow pants, scarves, long underwear ... more winter gear than I've ever seen in my life, but all necessary not only to survive the cold Canadian winters but to thrive while doing so. They bundle up my granddaughters and take them on all sorts of winter adventures ... and when this old Ghee visits, they graciously let me tag along. Sometimes, they even talk me into participating ... like a couple of days ago when I climbed on a sled with my granddaughter Coraline.
While I'd like to tell you that we were on a ginormous sledding hill that only the bravest and strongest sledders would even attempt to tackle, the truth is the hill we were sledding on was more of a bump than a hill. It's the perfect size for younger kids ... and Ghees who may or may not have a slightly irrational fear of sledding. My daughter-in-law asked me several times if I wanted to take a turn sledding down the huge hill with Coraline, and I politely refused, saying that I'd stay at the bottom of the hill and make sure Boo didn't crash into a tree. But then ... then following one of her multiple sled rides down the hill, Coraline looked up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of hers and said, "Don't be scared, Ghee ... come sled with me ... it's not scary at all." I don't even have to tell you the rest of the story ... of course I climbed to the top of the snow mountain ... yes, I do mean mountain ... and flew down the hill with Boo on her sled, laughing and yelping all the way. And then I did it again, and the next time we head to the hill for sledding, I'll do it again then, too. You know why? Because my love for Coraline is stronger than my fear of hurling down a mountain in the snow ... OK, OK, a tiny little hill ... on a small round piece of plastic.
I can't help but wonder what this new year will bring ... I wonder if there will be more happiness than sorrow ... more love than hate ... more progress than regression. I wonder what the new year will bring for those I love and care about, and I wonder what the new year will bring for me. The people who know me best know that it's a super short hop for me to turn wondering about what's ahead into worrying about what's ahead and worrying about what's ahead into full-blown, trauma-inducing, semi-paralyzing fear about what the new year may hold. There's something else I can't help but wonder, friends ... I can't help but wonder if my little Coraline's words at the sledding hill were about way, way more than riding down a hill on a sled. I wonder if they are words I should carry with me into the new year ... words to remind me not to be afraid ... words to remind me that sometimes the things I'm most afraid of are the very things that might just bring me the greatest joy.
"Don't be scared, Ghee ... come sled with me ... it's not scary at all."
Here's to a happy and healthy new year, friends ... treasure every single moment.
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