Savouring The Bounty of Our Lives

Over the Thanksgiving Day long weekend, one of the many activities I did with my wife and kids was heading out into the countryside to go apple-picking.  After spending some time foraging for the best apples from the wide variety offered within the orchard’s groves, we decided to take a short break at one of the many playgrounds found around the orchard.  While my wife went off to purchase some of the local, freshly made treats being sold at one of the farm’s shops, I found us a picnic table on which to place our sizable share of apples as our children ran off to enjoy the large wooden playground nearby.  Waiting for her to return, I soon found myself mesmerized with watching my girls play; of seeing them taking turns sharing the rocking-horse swing and leading each other in and around the playground fort.  It was a simple moment and yet at the same time, it helped to shine a light on what all those daily struggles during the work week were for.

It’s a common reality of being a part of today’s work force to experience days where our job seems less enjoyable than it usually is.  Sometimes this is because we’re dealing with the high demands of an overbearing boss; other times, it could simply be a difficult co-worker whose conduct brings discord and in-fighting to the work team.  In such times, we often tend to project our focus far ahead to those big events, like a planned vacation or a major home renovation, to help remind ourselves of what we’re gaining from this daily grind.

And yet, by focusing on these big contributions to our life, we can overlook the smaller benefits that help to make these hardships worthwhile, if not also helping us to move past them.  While we may still have to contend with a difficult boss, we still get to come home to the beautiful house we’ve helped to provide for our family.  While one of our co-workers can sometimes bring our spirits down at work, we can still share a laugh with a good friend over dinner at our favourite restaurant.  Although these are not as grand as a vacation getaway or home renovation, they still add value to our lives and help compensate for the less enjoyable parts of our week at work.

It’s what I realized watching my kids playing on that playground in the middle of the apple orchard.  All the hard work of the past week was simply stepping stones leading me to that place where I could appreciate the carefree sentiment, the sheer joy and happiness my children were experiencing in that moment.  Looking at them laughing together and running around the orchard, I understood that this was what all that hardship was for, that this was the bounty that I had reaped from my efforts.

While those vacation trips and large purchases can help make the less pleasant aspects of our work lives more tolerable, it’s those simple moments when we can put all our cares aside which really makes it all worthwhile.

Some other posts you may enjoy:

1. Saying Goodbye To The Ones We Love
2. Need A Boost? Strategies For Recharging Your Productivity
3. What Is The Value Of Homework?
4. Telling The Story Of Ourselves
5. Comic Book Action Flicks And The Father-Son Relationship
6. Why Better Will Always Beat Perfection

posted on October 13th, 2009 | 5 Comments » | Tags: family, focus, hardship, Life, moments, simplicity, struggle, work |