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Quite a few years ago, I spent a semester as an exchange student
in Costa Rica. My informal course of study focused primarily on
beaches and boys, but that’s beside the point. The point is
that while visiting Cahuita, a crystal-clear beach on the Caribbean
coast, I purchased a bottle of the most wonderful, pure coconut
oil. The fact that we were still using suntan oil, rather than sunscreen,
gives you an indication of just how many years ago this was!
The fragrance was amazing—fresh coconuts! It was aromatherapy
as much as suntan oil and, I concluded, much too valuable to waste
on mundane trips to the beach. So I saved it all through my semester
in Costa Rica. And I continued to save it after I returned, carrying
it with me as I moved to Memphis, Dallas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque.
When I unpacked it for the fifth time upon arriving in Tucson, I
decided maybe it was time to use it. I uncapped my wonderful, fragrant
oil to find—as you can probably guess—it had turned
horribly rancid.
Many of us have our own versions of this story. What about those
candles that were too beautiful to burn—at least until they
spend a summer in storage and emerged melted beyond recognition?
Or that expensive jar of face cream that sat on the shelf until
its contents separated? Even fine crystal, while not exactly going
“bad” buried away in the dark recesses of our cabinets,
certainly has its beauty wasted if it’s not out on the table
where it can be appreciated and enjoyed.
In his landmark book, The Road Less Traveled, M. Scot Peck
wrote that delaying gratification is a sign of maturity. It’s
an important lesson, but one that I’m afraid some of us have
learned all too well. I blame it on my Puritan ancestry…you
can choose your own excuse. I don’t mean to imply that we
should all operate with a childish lack of restraint, but in some
ways we are a very future-focused society, stranded on that infamous
“Someday Isle.” Someday I’ll lose the weight,
travel (preferably on a CRIZMAC Journey of Art and Soul!), or _________
(you fill in the blank). Too often, we put our lives on hold for
some beautiful fantasy day in the future that may—or may not—ever
arrive. And in the meantime, the sands are slipping through the
hourglass of our lives.
A life of purpose is important, of course, and selfless dedication
has its place. But as a teacher, you already know that far too well.
You spend the majority of your life helping others and putting their
needs ahead of your own. And things aren’t getting any easier
in the world of education. Now more than ever, it’s important
that you take time to renew your own reservoir so you’ll have
a surplus from which to give. This summer, declare yourself worthy
of the good things in life. What’s your personal equivalent
of that bottle of coconut oil? Dig it out, dust it off, and enjoy
it. Or pick up the phone and reserve your space on that dream trip.
Remember: Yesterday is past, tomorrow is uncertain. Today is a gift.
That’s why they call it the present. |
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