Drinking It In

Yesterday was one of those delicious summer mornings that begs a person—should he or she be so lucky—to spend an hour blasting along a country road with the top down, hair being blown about, grinning from ear to ear. Fortunately for me, I do have an old convertible and I did need to drive about 30 miles in the course of seeing patients on a Sunday morning. The road wasn't exclusively mine, nor the idea: There was a pretty stout representation of motorcyclists and a few on bicycles as well.

As I drove along I noticed just how perfect a day it was: 72 degrees. Not a cloud in the sky, low humidity, the roadway flanked by fields of corn, 6 feet high, a brilliant green. But every now and then there was a tree, a beautiful green leafed tree in full foliage, giving me a sign. It’s a blush really, just the top of the t-shirt showing from under a dress shirt, but it was undeniable: The leaves on a few of these trees were visibly hinting at a change. A gold cast to the green, a little edging in yellow: the message was clear, it’s getting to be that time. A bit premature on an early August morning but, as we all know too well, nature doesn’t always heed the calendar.

By late afternoon this beautiful day had turned to a hot hazy affair—one of those “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.” What had started as a cool and brilliant Sunday morning was finishing out a bit more in command of the season and, again, the trees reflected the time of year with a peculiar golden glow, leaves reflecting the lower angle of the sun. The message was being broadcast a little more clear to any who bothered to pay attention: We're winding down here. It won't be summer forever, Drink it in.

Nature has its way. And in this experience the message was clear: Our days are grand and life is full. And with that, the advice to drink it all in. Everyday moves a person a little further along that road, that calendar, that life. It can be such a gorgeous journey but one needs to pay attention—open arms, open eyes, alert and welcoming. In short: Drive fast, smile big, and keep the top down for as long as nature will allow.