As someone who lives in Arizona, I feel a false sense of superiority on the days surrounding a daylight savings change. It’s the same time in this desert all year long, so I never lose an hour of sleep. A lot of people I know from other parts of the country envy that. Now that the rest of you “sprung forward” we know longer and warmer days are on the horizon. It’s easy to get eager for those upcoming shifts, and to subsequently wish the colder, shorter days away.
Although I don’t have to change my clocks anymore, I have felt the urge to wish for one season to end so you can move on to the newer, “more exciting” one. Spring might be warmer than winter, but the blooming flowers bring on allergies. Summer means no school, but your air conditioning bill makes your head spin. Every season of weather and of life have their perks and challenges.
As you know from Relationship advice from a 26-year-old, single entrepreneur, I am not married, or even in a committed relationship at the moment. Those are both things I want in life. I deeply hope to have a husband, kids and a hypothetical white picket fence one day. And sometimes I can feel behind because that hasn’t happened yet. I was having one of those moments the other day when I felt such a strong wave of gratitude come over me about this season I am in.
I don’t live in the same state as my biological family, but I do have a family of friends here that I get to share a lot of life with. All I need to do my job is a laptop, so a few days a week I get to work from the same property as some of those friends. What a gift. Last week I had dinner at three different friends’ houses. We are all doing our best to “figure out” adulthood, which is exhausting and overwhelming, but thank God we have each other.
One day we will all have families of our own. We will have more established careers, so the meals will be fancier. Partners and kids will be there, so we’ll have a bigger table and more chairs. Having families will also mean more schedules to coordinate, and likely, less frequent gatherings. Something about knowing these things makes the burned pizzas and cheap wine taste a lot better. Similarly, I looked forward to the day my husband and I are woken up by our kids jumping on our bed. But right now, I am enjoying alarm-free weekends. I know that seasons change, and those days will come.
Actively looking for things that make you grateful for your present moment has no other choice but to make you feel better. So, while spring comes to fruition, savor the scent of a burning fireplace, wear your favorite coat and get your last few runs on the ski slopes in. Because it is just as important to enjoy today as it is to plan, prepare and dream about your future.