Reasons Why Wednesday "Life is Short - Do it Now"

Reasons Why #3: Life is Short, Do it Now!

Sorry to be so quiet here in Blogger Land but summertime (or as Tim says, "SUMMAH TIME!") in New England means less time indoors at the computer and A LOT more time outdoors with family, friends and fun! There is so much to update on but for now I'll stick to our "Reasons Why Wednesday Theme". 

We just got home last night from 5 days down at the Scahill Family Compound on Cape Cod (definitely just as luxurious and expansive as the Kennedys - HA!). The weekend was extra special because it was a Scahill Family Reunion. Jill's Dad's side of the family gathered together. There were so many amazing moments amongst the 31 folks that gathered. Saturday evening was spent on the beach with a bonfire and pizzas. The older relatives got such joy from watching the younger ones dance in the waves, the younger kids got such joy from catching a "giantous" crab and a flounder and then releasing them. The view was priceless. The pizza never tasted as good as it does with your feet dug in the sand. Fireworks were going off on both sides of us and heat lightening - nature's fireworks - was exploding over the ocean - It was the stuff of movies. Somebody made the comment, "This is why we work all the time, for moments like this." It set my mind reeling...

Sunday was an all-day classic New England Clambake. Cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews from near and far (as far as India!) gathered together to hug, laugh, hear stories, tell stories and be together. For the older folks there was a lot more reminiscing about past reunions and missing relatives who have passed on. For younger folks it was more about everyone's jobs, houses, kids, travels, projects, plans and general life 'busy-ness' and boy are people busy these days! 

Dad & his Sister Aunt Jed - the lifetime of photos
hanging on the line behind them

Surrounding the entire patio was photos of past family adventures - there were photos of foggy sailing trips, my dad and uncle in matching green pants with Manhattan cocktails in hand, weddings, trips to Florida, Europe, Nantucket, the mountains, there were smiling faces of those who have passed on and baby faces of those who are 25 now. Looking along the line of photos you can't help but realize, even though it's cliche, life is short. While you're in it and living it you don't tend to notice time moving along and you are wrapped up in the difficulty of making ends meet, of making the big decisions of house buying or child rearing, or job seeking. It's not till you stand in front of 75 years of photos or sit with your dad and uncle who are looking at 80 years on this earth that you realize that life is short and the latter part of it isn't as easy as the early or middle part. 

Tim and I are in our early 30's, we've got no kids, no mortgages, minimal debt, we don't own companies or have an investment portfolio, we don't have daycare bills or life insurance premiums, we don't have a leaky house or a need a new water heater, we are able bodied with no achy knees or sore backs. We will undoubtedly, one day, have all of these things plus MANY more, but for now, we don't. We spent a lot of time this weekend talking to family in different stages of their life - some with young kids, some with older kids, some with grandkids and every single person said to us about our boat plans - "DO IT NOW!" Complications and reason's why not to do it come quickly and before you know it you've got a 30-year mortgage or a you've got a kid who's sick, or you need a new car or the furnace blows out. 

As I looked at those photos this weekend, at the adventures my mom, dad, grandparents, uncles and aunts had, I thought - I hope someday my kids stand in front of photos of Tim and I and think what I thought, "what a life! how much fun they had, how many places they saw, how much adventure they sought! They lived it up!"

So, today's reasons why Wednesday comes from all the family we spent this weekend with and those who looked upon us from above. LIFE IS SHORT, LIVE IT TO ITS FULLEST, DO IT NOW! 

The Family, Summer of 1980 (that's Jill, the tiny baby on Larry's Lap) 

The Family, Summer 1992 (Note Jill's Joey McIntyre NKOTB t-shirt) 

The Family, 2012 - A lot bigger! The Orange Bus was a BIG hit!