How is it almost the middle of June already? Didn’t we just have Christmas? I just put the Weber away for the winter…how can it be time to use it again every weekend?

Sometimes I notice the speed at which life flies by and it astounds me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the milestones, in living for the next season instead of enjoying the one we’re in and in making sure we get to that next paycheck — just so we can turn around and anticipate the one after that. It’s so easy to focus on all the other moments except for the one we’re living in.

There’s a Mae West quote I like that says, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

You’ve heard people say that when we look back on our lives we’ll never wish we worked more, spent less time with our families and loved ones, or spent more money, right? I’ve always heard this and believed it, but it never really hit home with me and sunk in until my 30s.

I don’t have a lot to show for my years of working. I don’t own my own home, my car isn’t paid off yet and I couldn’t buy a place tomorrow if I had to. While I’d change some things I did over the years, on the whole I wouldn’t trade my path for the world. All the missteps taught me what not to do moving forward, and how to be better starting immediately.

I like to think that appreciating all I have — and all that I don’t — fits with the quote. I may not have done everything right, but once was enough because of the change that accompanied the outcome. And what could be better than that?

Tonight, post-migraine and with a head spinning because it feels like the New Year was just yesterday, I am thankful for knowing that despite how quickly time passes, once will always be enough so long as we see the lessons before us and live in each moment we’re fortunate enough to be given.