Skating

I took my daughter skating yesterday for this first time this winter. I make it a priority, because there are so few days we can do it. We like to skate outside and there are only 8 weekends left when the rink is open. Sometimes it's raining or just too cold or we have obligations. I'm acutely aware of how precious those days and times are. Having spent the morning at a funeral, I was even more determined to get out on the ice yesterday and we had a wonderful time. I reflected that for people who love to ski and skate, winter in New England is too short. We only have about 10 weekends when conditions might be good. For people who don't do winter sports, the season is too long. They sit inside and wait for spring, looking forward to the precious few summer weekends. I relish those too. In fact, I'm working on enjoying ALL of it.

On New Year's Eve, I saw a Dan Zanes concert and he led us in singing "Turn, Turn, Turn" with lyrics for kids, written by Toshi Seeger's wife, instead of the text of Ecclesiastes.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The tune is resonating with me this year. I hope I learn to appreciate the time I have, to take advantage of opportunities and not feel anxious about things that have passed by or are still on the horizon. Turn, turn, turn.