Time – it’s fleeting, it’s wasted, it’s managed, it’s cherished; it’s all this and more.  It’s how we use it that matters.

I just put my feet up on my desk and leaned my office chair way back. It’s comfy, so I took a power nap!  I have insomnia, so nights are not my favourite time.  It’s been that way for probably 30+ years.  I remember the circumstance that happened in my life that made me this way!  It’s long in the past and apologies have been given, forgiveness has happened – this was years and years ago – It’s all good…. and yet I still don’t sleep well.  It is a real bother to say the least!

My oldest child is on her way to me as I write this.  She, her wonderful husband (I call him ‘My hero!’, but I’ll save that story for another time), as well as my other 10 year old grandson who is staying for the rest of the summer because he loves to work here (His nickname is Squirt). When he was only 6 or 7 he wanted to help with the dishes.  So the Cook stood him on a stool, put an apron on him, and he cleaned the dishes with a sprayer every summer since!  Now my time with them will be precious and I’ve got a fridge of food just waiting for them.  I shall cook and anticipate their weekend with me.

Time is flying by as I finish up my last summer here.  This is the third week and I look at everything in a different light.  My mind is saying, ‘This is the last time I’ll be doing this’!  Take last night for instance: we had a Christmas Parade here at camp.  We do one per year usually.  Everyone dresses up based on the theme and we walk, or ride, around the driveway loop singing from the top of our lungs!  It was Christmas Day here yesterday so Rudolph was here with a red ball for a nose…. and well you get the picture. I am always the Queen and have this long dress that was originally made for my son’s medieval themed wedding reception, along with my $1 crown! I’ve ridden on a 4-wheeler, in a trunk, on a tailgate and in the back of a truck.  I wave all queen-like and we have a ball!  I shall miss these ‘only stuff you do at camp’ times.

The time I shall miss the most is after vespers.  I am usually one of the last to leave.  These times are so precious.  Staff and campers alike get questions answered and often meet God face to face at a place called Peniel (Peniel literally means “Face of God”).  I spent the last two evenings with a couple of staff who needed to hear how loved they are by me and those who care about them.  These are cherished moments in the quiet, by the lake and in the stillness of nature.  I’m holding onto those times in my memory.

I will forever miss the time spent on my porch swing where the world’s problems are solved.  Those times bring back memories where it seems to be a great place to laugh, share and fix all manner of things.  Hearts are open, guidance is given, and the world is often a better place when they leave.  Staff and guests gather to visit at days end.  Laughter and tears are common.  I curl up there on a quiet Saturday morning in the summer on my day ‘off’.  The campers are gone and the ‘weekenders’ (those who live here for the summer), are loving their own personal space after a week of giving themselves away.  So the camp site is quieter for a day.  It’s good for one’s soul.  I call family, have a longer devotional time, and sometimes get to read a magazine or a chapter in a book.

 All this to say we need to stop and look – be mindful. 

Do one thing at a time.

Do that one thing mindfully, then relax and breathe.

I’m learning this as a Life Coach.

This is what I do.

I am a dealer in hope!