At the end of the day, all we have is our experiences thanks to this planet and the people around us...
Maybe it’s Gemini season or maybe it’s just me (also a Gemini), but lately my interests feel sporadic and far reaching. I want to do all of the things all of the time.
You probably know me best as an artist. And don’t get me wrong, I love creating art. But I also love to do a lot of other things. To name a few, lately I love to garden, play with my dog, write, go for long runs, travel to far away places, hit the gym, surf, head out in the van, camp, hike, rearrange my house plants…The list goes on.
Sometimes it feels like there’s simply not enough time in the day, week, or month for me to get it all done. Not to mention, I am someone who needs a lot of sleep and regular meals or else I get “hangry.” Plus, I like to keep the house clean, dishes done, laundry folded, healthy food made, dog hair swept. It’s A LOT of work to keep up with just the bare bones of daily life, not to mention working, exercising, and saving a sliver of time for some fun. Is it just me, or does time speed up the older you get?
Last week I celebrated my 29th lap around the sun.
It felt like a clear marker of: THIS DOESN’T LAST FOREVER.
A stark but honest truth about our time here on earth.
As we do on every birthday, no matter whose it is, Kory or I ask the Honorary Question: “What’s your takeaway on ___ years of life?” It’s a bit of a confrontational question and it always seems to throw people off. It makes you stop and think. Like, “Wow, I’ve been alive for ___ amount of years, shouldn’t I have some freaking answers for this madness by now?!” The more you know, the less you know after all.
Having the home court advantage, this year I thought I’d be prepared for the Question. While sitting around a campfire with a best friend from college, our dogs, and Kory, he finally asked, “So Gianna, what’s your takeaway on 29 years of life?”
Yet, after a beautiful day on the beach surfing, plus receiving so many texts, calls, and thoughts from friends, all I could come up with in that moment was, “I really am just so grateful for my life, the people in it, the experiences I’ve had, and the planet.”
It’s not a grand, nor a very complex takeaway. It doesn't answer my frantic angst about how to possibly do all of the things I love to do in a day. Yet, at the end of the day, at the end of it all, ALL we really have is our gratitude for the experiences, the earth, and people around us. And maybe that IS enough. No one can do it all. But as long as I'm here, I'm sure gonna try!
xx,
Gianna
