You Don't Know What You've Got Til It's Gone

Thinking about the lyrics of Joni Mitchell's song "Big Yellow Taxi," I realize the many things we take for granted.  Southern California may have had it's share of troubles, but it's still a gorgeous place, and I am blessed to have spent the first twenty years of my life there.

I saw a photo a friend posted to Facebook the other day. It was a picture of his church youth group washing cars for some kind of fund raiser. The parking lot where they were working overlooked the beautiful Pacific Ocean--probably in San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente.  I made a comment to the effect: "I hope the kids realize that they live in an extraordinary place." My buddy commented back that they do. I believe they won't truly appreciate it until it's a distant memory.

Speeding through life as a young person, on the way to the next stop, is something we've all done. "There's got to be something more right around the bend" is what we say as we try to figure out a future for ourselves. Twenty or thirty years later we stop long enough to look back and realize that what we just rushed through will never happen again.

I am reminded to enjoy what is happening right now: windows are open and the ions in the air--along with the aroma of coffee being made and the sounds of classical music being played--are creating a moment in time that must be savored. I am going to stop right now and enjoy it, because it will be gone all too soon.