Life is full of ups and downs. When things are going well, it can seem easy and you can feel fulfilled. When it is not, it can feel empty and meaningless.
If you look back on the high points, are there elements in common?
What was the best time in your life? And what does “best” mean to you?
Related questions: How do you define success? How can we maintain wonder? Why do we put up with unhappiness? What makes you the happiest?
Best time? That’s a toughie. I mean, if I break my life into the various roles I play, it’s much easier:
— As a husband, there was the day Rebecca and I shared our vows with each other, getting married at the Boston Arboretum. Lee (co-founder of this blog) and Marsha filled the roles of witnesses (as well as taking care of many of the trappings for the ceremony and reception). A special thanks goes out to the people Lee recruited to make the event special — the Cello Chix, Harold (the photographer), and all Lee and Marsha’s friends who joined us for one of the most laid back wedding receptions the world has ever known. (It was perfect for what Rebecca and I wanted.)
— In my professional life, there was that time, with the prodding of one legislator, that I brought over 300 youth into a hearing room as negotiations for the human services omnibus bill were taking place. (It helped loosen some money up to go to the Homeless Youth Act.)
— Or there was my first year of heirloom vegetable gardening. The shapes and colors of what I helped grow astounded me. Plus, there were great yields!
But cheating here, I’m going to say that the best times in my life have been when Rebecca and I have travelled to France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. One “bestest” times was the discovery of Les Arcs and its beautiful winding stone pathways up and down a gigantic hill. There was the hour and a half spent at Château de Villandry, where I took some amazing pictures of the working gardens (some of the food harvested went to local food shelves). There were two particular dinners Rebecca and I had with our friends Jason and Nick. And then, there was the half day I spent with Laila, a friendship borne out of blogging and kept thriving because of our love of gardening. She and her husband, Rogier, treated me to an amazing lunch, I got to see Laila’s polytunnel, and she and I simply got the chance to visit face-to-face. Or there have been the times we’ve spent with Rebecca’s “French brother” Stéphane, an excellent host, travel guide, and kind man.
What made these travels the best times in my life? Well, common to most travel experiences, I got to leave my structured world behind and embrace the unknowns of the places I was at. As an introvert, I got to completely lay back and just soak in where I was at … Rebecca would translate anything super important for me to know. I got to visit with cherished friends. And, I was able to take hundreds of photos, capturing the beauty of the towns and cities of the countries I had the fortune of visiting. So, what makes these travels the best time(s) in my life? I got to relax as much as my anxious mind would allow with my spouse and best friend, Rebecca, while visiting friends and filling my time with some of the things I like most — photography, soaking in gardens, snacking on gelato, etc. What a treat!
Is there any way to capture that feeling of relaxation combined with discovery in your everyday life, when you don’t happen to be out of your normal routine?
Gardening and taking photos in my garden fill this need when it is an option. Too bad it’s not a year-round thing, and I can’t always garden or take photos of it when the need arises.
Maybe it’s because I’m an eternal optimist, or maybe it’s because I’m a lifelong learner (at least I hope I am), but whenever I sit back and identify the best time of my life, my answer is: right now.
Sue, good answer.
The best?! Only one?! But, I have three bests! Well, Michael cheated so I’m going to.
The day, nearly 20 years ago, that I married my best friend. We were young and poor. We rented an inexpensive hall. I made my wedding dress and did my own hair and makeup. We splurged on a wedding cake from a local bakery ($150) and my family each brought a dish for a potluck dinner. We spent under $500 (not counting rings) and it was beautiful.
The days each of our three children were born (I know, technically 3 bests). Our first son was a honeymoon baby, born 9 months and 5 days after our wedding day and on the same day as my mother.
Our second was, according to the sonogram, supposed to be a girl. After 4 days of labor, and a difficult delivery, I had a second adorable boy on April fools day.
Our third, and biggest, was much more eager to meet us than his older brother. In less than three hours, on my sister and brother-in-laws anniversary, he came screaming into the world.
The day I publicly dedicated my life to God, through water baptism. It was on July 5th, 2003 at our annual district convention in front of 5000+ people. I was nervous, but so happy to make a public declaration of my personal dedication. Accepting Jehovah’s friendship and devoting myself to Him was definitely one of the best decisions of my life.