Left: Roses, Spray Roses, Stephanotis

Top Right: Roses, Peonies, Freesia, Hydrangea

Bottom Right: Lisianthus, Freesia

Left: Peonies, Roses, Dahlias, Hypericum Berries

Right: Peonies, Roses, Freesia, Galax Leaves

This time of year is filled with meetings, proposals, networking, researching, projections, more meetings, revisiting marketing plans, altering business plans and looking forward into the upcoming year.  It's exciting and all-consuming.  As I think about 2009 and what I want it to look like, it's impossible not to look back at 2008 and what that held. 

I'm realizing, as the years go on, that as a business owner, a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister (and whatever other titles I may hold)...there's just never enough time.  As my daughter grows, there are always things I feel I should be doing differently.  As my business grows, I feel the same way.  I'm constantly left with this feeling that there's just not enough time to be the person that I want to be, to do the things that I want to do.  Will 2009 be different?  Will there be enough time to get everything done?

2009 didn't start off great in our house.  Quite the opposite.  I woke up on New Year's Eve day with expectations of a traditional New Year's - champagne, champagne and more champagne.  Instead, I found my husband's parents packing their bags and finalizing plans to head back to Miami - a week early.  My husband's grandfather had fallen, hit his head and was in a coma.  My husband and I then started to make our own plans to head back to Miami.  When we arrived a day later, it was with enough time to say good bye.  

My husband's grandfather lived to be 96 years old and was married to his sweetheart for 64 of those 96 years. Watching her say good bye to him was probably one of the hardest yet most precious moments I've ever been a part of.  How do you say good bye to someone you've loved for 64 years?  She thanked him over and over again for their life together and in doing that, I think that's how she said good bye.  Witnessing this was absolutely gut-wrenching, yet absolutely beautiful.  Their love for one another is something to try and live up to, something to try and emulate.  As she bravely said good bye, though, she was still left with the feeling that it was not nearly enough time.  She wanted more time with the man that she loved.   

Later that day, I heard my husband's uncle tell a story about something his father had told him a long time ago. He told his son, "be happy with what you've got, but always strive for more".  For whatever reason, that completely resonated with me and has continued to.  No matter who you are, you probably want more.  My husband's grandmother wanted more time with her sweetheart.  I want more time to get things done - somehow, this just doesn't feel right.

Like I said, January flew by and it's terribly disturbing to me.  There's just too much to get done, too much to do and not enough time to do it all.  I'm realizing, though, as I reflect on 2008...that there never will be enough time...and that's okay.  What's important is to be happy with what you have TODAY and enjoy your time TODAY. There's a whole lifetime to strive for more.  

The pictures below are from the Delilah's Holiday Party.  A great memory from 2008 and a lovely way to wrap up the year for Team Delilah's.  We had a nice dinner out and a lot of laughs.  These are the times when I forget about my stack of paperwork (that never seems to shrink below 2 feet).  These are the times I plan to have more of in 2009...even if I am getting a late start.

Happy Belated New Year, everyone.