Monday Musing: Enjoying Where We Are

My daughter is in town, so this weekend was full of family, old friends, and a few miniature racing pigs. Those last ones weren’t on my radar, but when you visit a pumpkin patch with a small boy, you find yourself enjoying all sorts of things.

On Saturday, we took my youngest grandson to a massive pumpkin patch with a petting zoo, a corn maze, a train, and miniature pig races. Apparently, pumpkins alone no longer cut it. It was a magical world for him, and watching him take it all in was the best part for us. I love how being with our grandchildren gives us another chance to enjoy things we might otherwise walk right past.

That evening, my husband and I got together with our longtime friend group for a dinner party. We’ve been having dinner together a few times a year for over forty years. That’s a lot of meals and a lot of life.

As you might expect, these days the conversation often includes someone’s recent hip replacement or another health setback. We haven’t quite reached the point of bringing our medical records, but we can give a fairly thorough verbal report.

We trade stories, support each other, and laugh a lot. There’s such comfort in spending time with people who’ve known us for decades. We’ve seen one another through so many changes, and I’m grateful we’re still gathering around a table.

We’ve lost a couple of dear friends from this group in recent years, and we miss them. Their absence is part of these evenings, too. Forty years can sound like a very long time until you’re sitting with people you’d dearly love to have another forty with.

Sunday morning we went to my older grandson’s Little League game. He’s been practicing his curveball and loves striking out players. We brought him back to our place for some rousing card games, and he was delighted to pummel us. I can’t believe how big he’s getting. He now towers over me by at least 5″. I’m so proud of the young man he’s becoming, even if I’d appreciate it if he could slow down a little.

My daughter and I also nipped into Nordstrom for a try-on that I’ll be sharing next week. There’s already plenty of holiday dressing in the store, which feels a little premature when I’ve only just made it to the pumpkin patch. But I do love seeing the dressier fabrics and details this time of year, especially when I can imagine wearing them with things already in my closet. We don’t always need a whole new outfit just because someone’s invited us to dinner.

I found several things I liked, and it was fun to have my daughter along for the try-on. Here’s a sneak peek at one of my favorite looks from the afternoon. I’ll share the rest next week, along with my thoughts on the fit and how I’d wear them.

I’ve been thinking about time and how quickly it seems to pass. We watch our grandchildren grow, count the years we’ve known our friends, and wonder how we got here so fast. I don’t feel forty years older than when those dinners began. My calendar proves otherwise.

Many of us spend so much of our lives thinking about what needs doing next. Even during a lovely afternoon, it’s easy to be mentally sorting out tomorrow. I do it, too. This weekend, there was so much I wanted to pay attention to right in front of me.

Perhaps that’s something we can get better at as we get older: knowing when we’re already where we want to be. Nothing has to be settled or finished for us to enjoy the life we have. There will be plenty to think about on Monday. It doesn’t need our Sunday, too.