March 4th, 2021
People like to say they appreciate good weather.
In my experience, most people only remember to appreciate it when it threatens to change.
Late-fall patio guests braving near-freezing temperatures. Grown men wearing short shorts in February.
Anything to get just one more day in.
When I was driving towards home on the freeway late tonight the lights of the city, for a reason I can’t explain, looked completely new to me. Like they did when I was a little kid.
And I remember long car rides home, falling asleep in the back seat. My head would shift from one side to the other, my eyes sliding open for a moment. I’d catch a glimpse of the lights, stunning, promising, and then go back to sleep, certain there would be more time to come back and see them again.
We tell children that what they experience as new, we’ve seen before, because we’re jealous of the feelings that they feel.
So often we treat our days like we have countless more to come. It’s rare to appreciate the people and moments in your life before you know it’s rapidly ending.
The Den 