Today is the first day for the rest of my life

I remembered this statement as I was making a French Press this morning, and I pondered a little bit.  Not exactly to figure out what I'm doing for the rest of my life - heck, I can't figure out what I want for dinner - but perhaps to remind myself each day indeed is a new day, and how I spend the 1,440 minutes is up to me.  How fortunate I am to actually have that choice. And chances are, all of you reading this blog are fortunate enough to do just that. 

I spoke with my dad on the phone last night, and it made me realize once again, my parents are getting older by the day.  Having both being 80, and for the most part healthy, is a tremendous blessing. Nevetheless, they are pyhsically getting older each day and there is no denial about that.  I didn't speak to mom; she was at chorus practice.  Mom is such a rockstar.  She sings alto in this big chorus made up of retired teachers and educators, and the chrous is invited to tour and perform several times a year all over China, Hong Kong, and Europe.  They are damn good!  It puts Lady GaGa to shame. 

And then there's my dad.  Mr. MacGyver.  (Whatever happened to MacGyver anyway?)  Dad played the violin all his life, but decided to learn a different string instrument at the ripe age of 79.  I couldn't really understand what it was over the phone, but I know (1) it is a Chinese string instrument, (2) he plays it like a Er Hu, (3) it can be sawed in half.  You read #3 right.  I guess Dad didn't like the way the instrument sound, so in true MacGyver fashion he made some "slight modifications" by sawing it in half, adding some bells and whistles, reattaching it (likely with a piece of gum and some duct tape), and viola!  A new instrument is born!  What, you're gonna tell an 80 year old man he can't do that?  I got news:  He just did. 

In their mind, I believe they too ponder about the same statement:  "Today is the first day for the rest of my life.  HOW am I going to spend it?"  

Today, I booked a flight to Hong Kong. Thanks to my sabbatical and time off, I am able to spend a month with Mom and Dad from mid-October to mid-November.  The family time is for me, of course, but more so it's for them.  Dad can show off his sawed-off-string-instrument and discuss world affairs with me; mom can take me to the best pastry shop for a gai-mei-bao and afternoon tea.  WHAT we do becomes pretty trivial; HOW we spend the time becomes the focus. 

I'm going to spend the the time well, that's how.