By Brandi Schunk
As hints of fall begin to nestle into the warm summer breezes, I feel twinges of regret creeping in. My mind wanders to all of the things I wanted to do that somehow never happened. A trip to Sand Beach in Acadia National Park (I never even bought our park pass this year,) ice cream and playground time at Jordan’s Snack Bar, fishing, anticipated playdates that never materialized, finishing unpacking and organizing from our recent move, growing food to eat, shopping at the local Farmer’s Market, watching meteor showers, seeing the Northern Lights...
But then I feel a shift, I feel my heart move from the devil and his evil ploys to dishearten me, and my focus settles to remembering all the things that we DID do this summer, and to gratitude to my faithful Father in Heaven who made a way for so much goodness.
We DID earn the money we needed by working at a wonderful job (both my son and I are employed at the same local restaurant), we DID attend two waterfront concerts, we DID attend two nighttime movies in the park, we DID attend the outdoor film festival, we DID have lake days with friends, we DID go on two waterfall hikes, including visiting Moxie Falls, we DID go on a few other hikes with friends and on our own, we DID go on bike rides, we DID attend Sullivan Daze, we DID attend the Moxie Festival, we DID attend the Blue Hill Fair, we DID go on countless walks exploring downtown Ellsworth, we DID make significant progress unpacking and organizing in our new home, we DID log quite a few school days while on “summer break”, we DID enjoy some full on movie days while we were down with sickness, I DID spend some beautiful therapeutic mornings working in our flower gardens and yard, we DID plant and start to grow food in our sunroom, we DID have meaningful moments together as a family, connecting, laughing, enjoying each other and our surroundings. THIS. THIS is what counts. THIS is what my children will remember. And THIS is what I can choose to remember.
The past is the past. It is full of both good days and bad days, good moments and bad moments. We create our future by choosing what we will focus on. Will we meditate on the bad, and wallow in regret? Or will we choose to focus on the good, and thrive in gratitude?
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:8.
I choose to remember, to talk about, and to CELEBRATE all the goodness we have experienced this summer. I can learn from what feels like regret, I can let it inform and shape my future decisions, and I can relish in all the goodness that surrounds me, in the LOVE of my Heavenly Father and my family. Today, I choose gratitude.
Brandi Schunk is a Homeschooling Mama of two in Ellsworth, Maine.