Make Time for YES

Friends.

This past weekend, we took a trip to the Hamptons, where I lived, to celebrate a dear friend, Sarah, on her 50th birthday.

I received the invite over a month ago and immediately texted her to let her know I was coming. Then, I looked at my calendar and BLOCKED OUT THE TIME, coordinated the kids' schedules, and made plans with another Bestie to ensure that she could be out with us that weekend.

It was a gift, getting time with friends whom I seldom get to see in person anymore.

Eric and I really needed the time away together. Away from all the things that demand our time and attention here at the farm.

For nearly 72 hours, we did things that fed our souls. We meditated with the sun rising up over the water. We walked on the beach. I connected deeply with friends who have been so integral in my life for so many years.

The important thing is making the time and saying yes.

It would have been easy to decline the invite with life's obligations and to-dos. There was also the possible excuse of the 200-mile geographical hurdle. Plus, there are the animals that need constant care.

I would never have remembered what I did last weekend if we had stayed home. I am sure that I would have filled up my time with this and that, maybe even worked on my final paper. Eric would have finished the roof on the hay feeder, but we wouldn't have recalled the details, the feeling, the memory years from now.

Set alongside the gorgeous backdrop of Sagaponack farm fields and a perfect sunset, Sarah's celebration was filled with heartfelt, touching, and humorous speeches and tributes. A female friend group dressed in wigs to match Sarah's signature hairstyle and performed the most hilarious song, singing both honoring and roasting Sarah.

This is a memory I will cherish forever.

I am so glad that I said "YES!"

Every birthday is a milestone. Birthdays with zeros (40, 50, etc.) are new decades and tremendous accomplishments filled with opportunities. These, in particular, deserve commemoration and merrymaking.

Celebrate the moments and the milestones. You won't regret having said yes.

With so much love,

Kari