Say Yes

On days like today, I can tell early that I’m not going to get much work done because I’d rather spend time with Feliks, so I cut my losses, took a shower, got dressed, and went with Feliks to the barn. Better to be outside with him and his beloved horse, Rigby, than sit in my chair all day, feeling bad about not getting work done–and not getting anything else done either.

It was a grey day, with low heavy clouds and the threat of rain. We talked and laughed on the 45-minute drive to the barn, and when we got there, Feliks went out to the paddock to get Rigby and bring her into the barn. We took our dog, Ziggy, with us for a field trip, and she craned her neck to watch Feliks walk back with Rigby, her tail wagging wildly as he got closer.

As I looked at the landscape outside the barn while Feliks tacked up Rigby, I was struck with the rightness of the decision to spend the afternoon out there with him. And I remembered “yes days” from his childhood when no matter what he said he wanted to do, I would immediately say “yes.” Not, “let me finish this first,” or “I have to respond to this email,” or “I can’t do that today,” but “yes.” And we would do it, whatever it was. Rollerblading? Yes. Making crepes? Yes. Going to the library? Yes. Buying flowers for the dining room table? Yes.

He was delighted. Pure delight.

And that’s what today felt like. I “should have” stayed home and finished a big project. Instead, I said yes. And memories were made.

When I think about my mom, I remember her taking me to the library every Saturday. I remember my dad letting me drive his big car around a dirt track at the lake when I was 12. I hope when Emma remembers me, she will remember our trips together to sleep with the manatees. When Feliks remembers me, I hope he will remember me at the barn with him, watching him and Rigby as they cantered in the field under deep, low, dark clouds.

What can you say yes to today?