I’ve been awfully quiet on here lately. One of my most recent posts bemoans the drab, long winters of northern Germany and how they regularly turn me into a grumpy, insufferable person. While that’s true I like to think that I’m not as grumpy and insufferable year-round. It’s just that I hardly get to write when I’m having too much fun. Spring and summertime tends to be packed with things that make life so sweet: Hanging out with friends, spending quality time with family, soaking up the sun and enjoying the good things the world has to offer.
The last few months have been so packed that I could hardly justify to spend any time writing or working on side projects.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Right now I’m busy enjoying the important things in life. Things that make a difference. Things that forge long-lasting memories that I’ll hold dear.
Work is demanding, just as you’d expect from a chaotic and growing startup. I’m putting in a lot of hard work and time, I’m learning a lot, make an impact, grow as a person. But in the grand scheme of things all these challenges at work, the many moments of frustration and reward, are hardly worth thinking about beyond the brief point in time where they present themselves. What is worth remembering are the small and big moments in life that truly make a difference, the things that happen when I’m not sitting in front of a screen for hours on end:
Celebrating weddings and anniversaries of friends you’ve known for more than 25 years. Slurping beers at the beach with the groom’s friends weeks before the wedding. Feeling like teenagers again by going to a music festival for the first time in 20 years with friends you don’t nearly see enough. Inviting my buddies over for barbecue and enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon together. Paying a long overdue visit to my brother after he moved years ago. Being there for my parents as they’re getting ready for their well-deserved retirement. Going on an extended weekend trip with my wife to enjoy the gorgeous scenery southern Germany has to offer.
I’m grateful to have so many good friends in my life, and it’s humbling to realize how many of them have been a part of my life forever. I’m fortunate that so many people I love live close by, and that those who are not close are a regular part of my life. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but always there in one way or another. I’m happy that I’m able to share so many meaningful and memorable moments with them every year.
Hug your friends, call your family, go outside, make memories.