Jeanie and I were once invited to go out on Lake Michigan with a friend and his wife. They had a huge ocean yacht with multiple state rooms, a full galley, luxurious living room and every amenity one could imagine. We sailed up the coast to the North and back. It was an exhilarating and yet relaxing experience. At dusk, we returned and were waiting our turn to dock when two guys along side us were just coming in. They were in little more than an aluminum row boat. As my friend and I watched them, he said “Ya know what? They had as much fun as we did.” I have never forgotten that. It reminded me that it doesn’t take big expensive stuff to enjoy the most important things that life has to offer.
Today is a perfect example of that. Who wouldn’t want to be on a huge craft navigating big water? Or, lying on the beach at a pricey resort or your own private get-a-way? When it comes down to it, those things aren’t necessary. Today, Jeanie and I had a day with absolutely nothing on the schedule. The weather was beautiful. Sunny, warm, low 80’s.
We are living in a small townhouse while our permanent home/cottage is being built.
We are one block from a major thoroughfare with people and noise everywhere. We threw a pair of beach towels over our lawn chairs and moved outside. I had the privilege of rubbing sunscreen on her back, and we engaged in pleasant small talk while tanning for several hours. She even brought her ironing outside to catch some rays on her back side.
The past five years are kind of a blur. Perhaps by necessity. The challenges we’ve faced, the workload, etc. I realized today, quietly with my bride that life must go on and the simple joy I experienced today is giving me new purpose. I need little more than the basics, my wife, and my children to find happiness again. This is still a work in progress, but I am encouraged.
In other words, one can have a yacht but in the end……a cane pole and a can of crawlers bring just as much joy if you allow it to.