Last Sunday morning, I woke up and decided I wanted coffee and a view with my wife. My first thought was to have coffee on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, but as I lingered around the house, the day started heating up. By the time we were finally heading out, we decided that maybe sweating on the beach wasn’t in the plans.
We drove to Safety Harbor, parked in a public parking space, and pulled up the local restaurants serving breakfast on our handheld computers. My wife went down the list of possibilities, and we settled on breakfast at The Kitchen Bar and Bistro.
We walked a couple of blocks and found ourselves in front of what looked like a quaint little house that had been retrofitted into a restaurant. The hostess found us a table for two in the corner where we could enjoy a quiet breakfast.
I had a breakfast sandwich with potatoes on the side, and my lovely sidekick had the BLT Benedict. The food and service were both outstanding. After breakfast, we decided that rather than sit on the beach, we’d head over to Philippe Park for a short walk and enjoy the beautiful view of Old Tampa Bay beneath the majestic oak trees growing throughout the 92-acre park.
Screenshot of the Philippe Park Map
While I spend most days with my wife—we work together as a Florida real estate team—it was really nice to simply enjoy an easy Sunday morning with her.
No distractions. Just a slow-paced breakfast, coffee, and a view.
Living a life with intention, for me, means making time for my family.
For years, my career kept me distracted. While I always made it a point to be there for as much as I could, I wasn’t always able to enjoy what was right in front of me. The phone would ring day and night. I was expected to keep on top of emails after hours and on weekends, and the hypervigilance became so ingrained that it was hard to simply be present.
I distinctly remember a day not long after I retired. I stepped into my backyard and realized how overgrown it had become. The Silverthorn shrubs we had planted had grown so much that you could barely open the gate to the backyard. They had enveloped so much of the yard that you couldn’t really see all of it anymore.
I grabbed a trash barrel and a pair of clippers and started trimming.
The skies grew dark as a storm built on the horizon. Rain started falling, and lightning began popping all around me.
As I trimmed those shrubs, I became angry with myself for not being present for my family and for allowing my yard to get into such a state of disarray. I started thinking about how my wife had carried the brunt of the household while I worked at solving other people’s problems. Then, when I arrived home, I spent my time trying to decompress while still staying on top of phone calls and emails.
As I stood there trimming back years of growth, the storm intensified.
So did my emotions.
I started to cry, and then I started to sob as the rain poured down and lightning flashed around me.
My wife stepped onto the lanai and asked me to come inside, but I declined. Instead, I stood there in the storm and apologized to her for being gone all the time and for the fact that she had to carry the household because I was too busy helping other people deal with their traumas.
That moment has stayed with me.
So here I am today, doing my best to live life with intention and soak in easy Sunday mornings.
There is always a great deal of talk about the sacrifices first responders make and the stresses they endure, but rarely do you hear about their spouses.
They are the true heroes.
They keep the family and household together so the first responder can be present for the public. They carry burdens most people never see.
To all of those spouses out there holding down the fort: thank you.
And to my wife, thank you.
Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday.
I wish you all a blessed day.
NOTE: I’m not an expert in anything. These musings are simply a case study to hold myself accountable to living intentionally. I want to be the best version of myself.
It is my belief that if I focus on the five pillars I developed for myself, finding a balanced life should become easier. My musings are based on my own life experiences and my desire to live with intention.
I welcome thoughtful comments.