To Say Yes

I was going to look up some really brilliant quote about living fully but didn't get around to it.

Instead I am sharing a goal I have for myself and our family this year - to live more, let go of fear and to experience life.

So often Mike and I, in the last several years, are full of reasons why we cannot do something, something as simple as going to the beach on a 90 degree Vermont day (because my goodness, how many of those are there?).   Mostly one or both of us will usually say we have too much work to do and/or that we really don't have enough money.

On Friday we went to the beach.

(If you look closely you can see the wind towers on the mountain ridge.)

It was great to be among other homeschool families, in particular to talk farming with one mom.  It was, as it always is, a joy to watch the children effortlessly play and hang out together like they've known each other forever (when we only seem to get to a homeschool gathering a few times each year).    

If we stop for one afternoon, the vegetables will still be harvested by the end of the growing season, the orders will still be shipped when they need to be shipped even if it means getting up a little earlier a day or two, and the house can be cleaned another day.   At 1:00 when I asked everyone if they wanted to go to the beach, and there was a loud chorus of yes - I then let everyone know what had to be done before we could go.  I think in that one hour more was accomplished than in the entire day.  Not sure if that is the right kind of motivation I am aiming for in our children - but it did the trick for that day:)

One of the reasons we began our home centered lifestyle and home based businesses was to be able to say yes more often - yes to a hike - yes to an overnight camp outing - yes to a festival.  We knew that this life wouldn't make us rich - that was never a goal of ours.    What is has done is given us freedom and it is only ourselves that have been holding us back.  No more!