EXTRA HOURS

It will take us a bit longer to get used to having extra time in the evenings. Time previously spent driving an hour back and forth to kickboxing class and another hour waiting in the car until my son finished his class. A class he is now delighted is over.

For me, one of those extra hours has been spent walking. I leave my home shortly before sunset, as it is cooler. At times when the clouds are away, I also get to watch the setting sun display its beautiful array of colours. The other hour is spent catching up with the cleaning or not having to rush through dinner.

For my son, the extra time has been spent doing his homework. Uninterrupted. Not having to stop what he is doing for the next day’s assignment that is due in order to get dressed for class and return home two hours later. Besides homework, he used that extra time yesterday to ride his bike with the new phone holder that his sister bought him for his birthday. Now he simply attaches his phone to the bike as he goes geocaching or riding around the neighbourhood.

There are many ways that we can use the extra hours we get. Most important is that we not waste them scrolling through our phones or getting involved in an online discussion which does not make our lives better.

More than anything else, the extra hours we now have allow us to meet up with the rest of the family. My two daughters. Sage’s sisters. I no longer have to worry that we will not be home if for some reason they want to stop by after school. Sometimes the things we give up are replaced by something else that serves us better in the end.