Transitions-Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga Real Estate Blog

With Christmas once more soon upon us, my thoughts turn to Christmases past when my Grandparents were still alive and I find myself drifting off in revery to visits north on snowy two laned roads in winter and dusty, gravel strewn roads in summer.
A soft quietness comes over me and with a heavy heart, I think upon all of those who still graced my life in those days and are now gone.

A distant train whistle lulls me out of my complacency as I am carried back to an early evening many years ago and to the house my great grandfather built in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. I was 6 years old that evening.

I remember laying there in bed in the soft twilight, a fresh scented sheet covering my small body, the train whistle carrying through the screened window, the ghostly sheers blowing softly across my legs as the breeze carried in the elements of the evening; soft winds, train whistles, damp evening air.

I thought that moment would last forever. I thought I would stay small forever and growing up would never happen.
I prayed daily to grow up fast so that I could live my own life. I asked my Mother a thousand questions a day about when I would be old enough to do this and when would I be old enough to do that. Following her around the house as she did her many chores, I would relentlessly bemoan the same sentence over and over ‘I can’t wait until I am old enough to do this and I can’t wait til I am old enough to do…..’ .

She had incredible patience, my Mother. She still does. She would softly reply ‘Don’t wish your life away.’.

I never really understood what she meant. I thought she was just giving me something to confuse me and shush me up for a bit so she could get her work done.

Only as I got older and began missing things from the past, such as my son’s little smiling faces or funny sayings they would come out with , did I realize the full implication of what she was saying.
She was telling me to cherish each moment.
To be happy with where I was now, in this very moment, living the life I have at this very second.

Time waits for no one. If there are people
you love , tell them. They might not be here tomorrow. If there are things you want to do, don’t wait for 'some' day. ‘Somedays’ often have a habit of never coming.

Grasp this moment you have and fill it with all that brings joy to your heart and with as much as possible of that which feeds your soul. This is the true meaning of life.

I will forget about time now until the next time I hear a train whistle and it takes me back to that long ago evening that I thought would last forever.

May you cherish each moment that this Christmas season holds in store for you and carry it with you all of the days of your life, and more importantly, may you cherish the people who are with you this Christmas and hold them dear to your heart forever more.

©2009JoSmith