On the bookshelf in my bedroom sits a frame containing a yellowed Family Circus cartoon. The drawing shows the disheveled mom trying to corral her four small children. Meanwhile, a well-meaning - but not terribly helpful - elderly lady gives the stereotypical advice: Enjoy them every minute. Before you can turn around, they’ll be grown.”
I’ve had that picture for more than two decades, probably when the fourth of my seven children arrived. And while I likely smirked when I received it, there is a reason that advice continues to apply. Because it is true.
It is why we say “the days are long, but the years are short.”
It is why we say “time flies when you are having fun.” Heck, time flies even when you aren’t having fun. Ask any mom.
But whether you are in the midst of changing diapers non-stop or building a career or just trying to get by, the days can slip by seemingly in the blink of an eye. Followed by months going by in a blur. And before you know it, years have passed.
This is where intentionality comes into play. Unless we intentionally make the effort to enjoy the moment or to reach out to someone, time - and life - can slip by so quickly.
And that is how I recently ended up in Texas, despite less than perfect circumstances like a pandemic.
As my 25th anniversary approached, I knew I didn’t want to buy my husband, Jon, yet another gift that I would have to dust or wash or add to the clutter at our house.
Instead, I reached out to the best man from our wedding, Mike, who had been my husband’s college roommate, to reconnect. It had been 23 years since we had seen him in person, when my husband had served as the best man in Mike’s wedding.
While now is not ideal for just about anything, everything from travel itinerary to days off from work lined up. So last weekend, the three of us caught up on two decades of our lives, from vacations to jobs, even stupid vehicle purchases. We discovered that all our kids are avid swimmers, some at the collegiate level.
In the end, it was like we hadn’t missed a beat, much less decades. There was some regret that we hadn’t been able to see each other’s kids grow up and many birthdays and anniversary had been missed. But we left with an appreciation and a hopefulness, knowing that we had reconnected and would do better in the future to maintain contact.
Afterward, I wondered how we managed to miss so many years of each other’s lives, but it was never intentional. It is just life.
Personally, we got busy raising kids, working and volunteering, and maintaining a house. Our friend Mike was busy raising his own family, moving around the country and serving more than a dozen tours overseas during his 25-year military career.
As my husband said on the way home, perhaps this was the first time we could have connected and we needed to appreciate that it happened at all.
I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it: There is never a perfect time to do something. If you wait for it to be perfect, it will never happen.
We could have waited for the pandemic to be over, but who knows when or if things will return to normal. We could have waited for all of us to retire, but who knows when or if that will happen. If I think I have a risky lifestyle by riding my bike down a highway with semis barrelling by us at 70 mph, that’s relatively safe compared to our friend who flies helicopters for the border patrol catching drug runners.
I am not saying you need to hop on a plane to visit your long-lost aunt in another state or drain your savings to see your childhood friend across the globe.
Perhaps it is a phone call to an elderlly neighbor to let them know you are thinking of them. Maybe it is taking a dessert to that mom who hasn’t had five minutes to wash her hair. Or just dropping a card in the mail to your friend to let them know you are thinking of them. Finding a hand-written note in the mailbox is 10-times better than a stack of bills or election fliers.
Like I said, there is never a perfect time...there is only time...time to be intentional.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
August 2025 Volunteer of the Month Bruce McDowell can be found walking around McCook for his health, to be helpful or maybe even attend a meeting.
It takes work and effort to be social but its vital to our community.
McCook's young people are shaping their hometown through a various projects.
MCFF Summer Hometown Intern Natalie Roberts shares how her perspective on McCook changed over the past few months.
With the McCook Aquatic Center closing soon for the season, another tradition - Mr. Bill and his 25-cent snow-cones - will likely be coming to an end soon too.
McCook among five Nebraska communities in Revitalize and Thrive Program
Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
Judy McCune named July 2025 McCook volunteer of the month
Joyce Anderson named June 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
