Just One More Day

Well, my vacation is over and I'm back to work. But I really could have used just one more day.

With just one more day, I could have slept, could have rested up so that I could greet the day back to work with more energy. I had a very active vacation: swimming, cycling, lots and lots of walking. I really needed some extra sleep. With just one more day, I could have received that sleep.

With just one more day, I could have been there to see my kids on their first day back at school. I could have taken pictures of them at the bus stop, eagerly awaiting that big yellow vehicle. I could wait for them to return and tell me about their day. Tell me who their new teachers are, which of their friends are in their class.

With just one more day, I could have spent time organizing our vacation photos. With more than 1,000 shot, I could have taken the time to cull, to delete the bad shots, to flag the good shots, to edit the okay ones.

With just one more day, I could have worked on my writing. I planned to write a lot on vacation, but with so much to see and do during the day, I would return to our cottage or hotel far too tired to sit in front of a computer. With just one more day, I could devote myself to the written word. To practice and perfect my chosen craft.

With just one more day, I could get caught up on my reading. I could finish the book that I brought to relax with before calling it a day. But I was too tired at the end of each day. My eyes couldn't focus on the printed page. With one more day, I could devote myself to finishing that book I started before my vacation.

With just one more day, I could clean my house. We left it in a bit of a mess before we went to Cape Cod. When we returned, we dumped out our dirtly laundry and refilled our bags for our trip to Toronto. We wanted to start September with a clean place in which to live. With just one more day, I could have made our home more welcoming. I could have tended our much-neglected back yard. I could have mowed the grass and pulled the weeds from between the patio stones and at the far side of our house. I could have made our back yard welcoming; not just for our family but for any guests.

With just one more day, I could have visited friends. I could have gone to see them or invited them over, or met with them out on the town. I haven't seen some friends in a very long time and I miss their company. With just one more day, I could have let them know how much they mean to me.

I'm glad to be back from vacation. But there are some things I wish I had had time to accomplish. And I could have accomplished them.

If I only had just one more day.