On The Long Road: Live, Love, Laugh, Learn

I found a poem today that eloquently sums up my philosophy of life. Enjoy the journey, for it is the destination. Wow!

Ithaka
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon — don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon — you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time:
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind —
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now
.And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Constantine P. Cavafy

Some people think I’m crazy because every year I plant a huge vegetable garden, even though I’m rarely home in the summer. But the vegetables aren’t really the point. I love planning and planting the seedlings, tending them, and sending them on their way. Later, I share the veggies with my neighbors (and the deer and rabbits.)

In my mind, it’s all about the joy of the process. Once there is a product, it’s time to move on.

As a mom, I only get to enjoy my children’s growing years. Fortunately, I think that’s the best part!

Subscribe to receive free On Living By Learning articles by email. Click this link.