They say life is a bowl of cherries. Slow down and savor their sweetness.

Although the  official start of summer is June 21, the weather for the most part  has been summer-like. Many folks are donning their shorts, tee-shirts and  getting their water toys ready.    

I  look forward to three months of warmer weather.  Summer is a lovely time of year especially for those of us who are blessed to  live on the North Fork.  The buzz talk about summer, tourists and traffic is creeping into our community and social media conversations.

I’ve heard and read a plethora of oldies but goodies, including but not limited to:  

• I cannot wait for summer;  winter is a bummer.
• What is there to do on the North Fork during the winter months?
• Last summer was not good.  ( – huh? You waited for nine months!)
• It’s party time.
• I hope this summer is not too hot, cold, cloudy, buggy or…(fill in the blank.)
• The tourists are coming;  the tourists are coming. ( We already know that!)
• The limousines have found their way onto our secondary roads.
• I need a new bathing suit, but I haven’t lost my winter weight.  Damn! Summer came too soon.

Some of these complaints may be legitimate but complaining about things we cannot control is a precarious way to live. Of course, staying off the roads and sunbathing in our back yards is an option. 

As  a woman of a certain age, I certainly  enjoy summer, but I try to take it a step further: I try to enjoy each day.  If summer lasts approximately three months, it begs this question:  How are we living during the rest of the year?  

Many folks are snow-birds and fly the coop; others hibernate by binging on Netflix shows.  Still others continue to enjoy the great outdoors.  Folks, the  North Fork is still  jumping, perhaps not as high as summer.  There are plenty of enrichment programs, fun entertainment, plays and concerts.   

I stumbled upon this metaphor and have adopted it:  In life we start out with a full basket of sweet cherries.   Over the years we eat them without restraint and never taste the sweetness.

However, it baffles me that by a certain age, folks do not realize there are less cherries in their baskets. Foolishly they can exhaust their supply by complaining about the weather, waiting for summer,  or waiting for the next big thing.  Many folks are not present in the NOW and may be wishing their lives away.

Research has shown that reveling in the “ordinary” aspects of life is a sign of maturity.  We risk missing out on the ordinary when we are busy chasing a tomorrow.  Here’s a sobering thought: Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

Throughout my nursing career, as well as now as  a lay pastoral visitor,   I have ministered to many folks whose only desire is to live. They do not moan and groan about  the weather,  their neighbors,  tourists or the myriad mundane things we regularly whine about. 

A lovely lady who has since  joined  the company of heaven, asked me to take her outside on a particularly hot and humid day.  I protested and tried to engage her in a board game.  (To be honest,  it was for my welfare as well as hers. ) 

Her lovely blue eyes locked on mine.  She said: 

“My dear, when you get to my age, one does not fret about small things like weather.”

I  caved and took her out. I wheeled her under the shade of a tree and we chatted.  Funny, I didn’t feel the heat.  While sipping her iced tea, she began pointing out every bird and new flower that had bloomed in her garden.  She inhaled deeply and said:  

“Ceil, isn’t it grand to be alive!”

I have never forgotten this beautiful lady nor her wise words.  Yes, every day we are alive we have a chance to live — really live. But do we?

There is a shocking statistic that says two-thirds of the population wishes they were somewhere else.  Many folks want to take the express train to the next phase of their lives.  I would think existing in a perpetual void is exhausting. 

Sometimes we run into “energy vampires” —  folks who take all the air out of the  room by complaining. They will talk over someone, interrupt and are generally  insufferable to those around them.  Name-calling is one of their favorite strategies.  Everyone who doesn’t agree with them is labeled a jerk or worse. (Use your imagination.)

Life in all seasons is precious. Speaking from experience, it can all change in a New York minute—and to boot, we don’t see it coming. Listening closely to our inner dialogue can shine some light on our consciousness.  If we are not in the state of acceptance, enjoyment, or enthusiasm, we create suffering for ourselves and others.

I will leave you to ponder this quote by the poet Mary Oliver:  “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”