I am sitting at a wedding with a woman I don't know very well. We strike up a conversation and cover the usual topics of work, children etc.  We move the topic of home renovations.  I live in an older house that has its share of small "needed" repairs.  It also has a wish list of "wanted" repairs.  She and I were going back and forth with what is on the repair list for the summer.  I was rattling off my list "wanted" repairs, new brick on the house, a stone path in the back yard, etc.   She stopped me and offered me some great advice.

She told me that all three of her children had left home within the last year, leaving her and her husband empty nesters.  Time to do all the renovations they wanted all summer long.  She advised me to enjoy the time with my 12 and 13 year old.  She told me how she regretted focusing on every little renovation rather than putting the money into trips and time with her children.  She reminded me that the older they get the less likely they are to want to holiday with me.

I thought a lot about that on the trip home.  She was right.  So we took our summer renovation budget and put it into a fund we are calling the "summer memories".  

Now I drive up to my house and smile thinking about replacing that brick in years to come when we have the time.  I planted grass in the place where the stone walk would be and it looks great.

Enjoy this beautiful season and make some of your own "summer memories."