The crazy won’t last forever…

The plane just landed. As I powered up my phone, I walked to pick up my bags.  It was a long week on the road but I saw a text from a friend. Her night was free and she wanted to meet for dinner.

It was a great welcome home message.

It would have been easy to say no, I was tired and I just wanted to stay home. But I knew this never happens. And I really wanted to catch up. It had been awhile.

Looking for a convenient restaurant, we found a little place — known for their great wine, homemade food and quaint neighborhood feel. Perfect.

We were old friends and as it happens when you haven’t seen someone for a while, our conversation went everywhere all at once. And like the best of friends our conversation picked up where we left off. It was fun to celebrate the moments with each other. And ponder the questions that nagged us. But most of all, it was a great way to recharge your battery.

As we shared our schedules and what was next, she looked at me, shook her head and said, “I don’t know how you do it.”

Last weekend marked the first free weekend for both my husband and I in 4 months. It wasn’t the first time I had received this response. But for me, the answer was easy:

It’s busy, but I know it won’t last forever.

The lives of my family are complex, busy and maybe a bit crazy. But for me, it’s important to figure out how to integrate all life has to offer.  I need to be there. That means figuring out how to make the busy lives of my family work together with what matters most.

I’ve always known, the opportunities won’t wait and frankly won’t always fit into a nice neat schedule. If I want to make the most of this life, I had to learn how to be there when things happened. This means accepting sometimes my schedule will be a bit scary. It also means taking advantage of the scheduling opportunities – like dinner with my friend.

Indeed – my life is crazy and full. But I know it won’t last forever.  Learning to live in the moment and celebrate what makes this time special, is what’s important. And it’s what makes the journey so much fun, especially knowing you won’t travel this road again exactly the same way.

Let me know how you tackle your crazy life and make it work for you. I don’t want to miss out on what life has to offer, and know you don’t either. Let me hear how you do what you do.