Five hundred twenty-five thousand six-hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six-hundred minutes...

According to the experts, this is the incorrect number of minutes in a year, made famous by the musical Rent. "The logic to this phrase is done with the equation: 60 (minutes) X 24 (hours) = 1440 (hours in a day). 1440 (hours in a day) X 365 (days in a year) = 525,600 (minutes in a year). HOWEVER, this is using the incorrect idea that there are exactly 365 days in a year. The actual number of days in a year is 365.2422, or about 364 and a fourth days. SO, if we redo the equation, we come out with 1440 X 365.2422 = 525948.768. Therefore, the actual number of minutes in a year is 525948.768" (http://www.urbandictionary.com).

Either way, that’s one heck of a way to measure a year.

One year ago I began this blog. With my husband I had discussed the idea of starting a blog, and later, I received some basic information on how to begin one while talking with a new teacher at work who over the past year became a supportive friend. After receiving a laptop for Christmas, I decided I had everything I needed to begin, except for a name for my blog. I made lists of possible titles but none were strong in meaning to me until I thought of this one, Views From The Dock.

Away for a few days on a Bed & Breakfast Inn getaway with Eric, I logged in with my new laptop and set up this blog’s design. I wrote of its name and of my intentions. But I had no idea where exactly I would go with it after that first post.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

For four days, the final four days of 2010, I wrote and posted to my new blog. The new year began and I continued to write and to post. I held onto my new year’s mantra, “No fear. No expectations. Let’s just see what happens”, in reference to my blog writing and to my aging dog Charlie, and also a few other parts of my life. The new year began with great hope but I knew times were going to be challenging. Charlie began to fail. A month or so later, on February 9th, Charlie died.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.

But in truth, I had nearly 17 years with my sweet pup. That's a wealth of minutes. You do the math.

The new year continued to be challenging. By springtime, due to numerous factors that found their way to my door, I was exhausted. I longed for summer to wash away the pain and the stress of the first six months.

How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?

The summer provided me with some much needed rest and time for renewing grace. A puppy named Ziva and attention to diet and exercise helped restore my energy and my passion for life. August, however, brought me some more rough days and this fall proved to be an uphill battle as sickness, work stress, and back pain threatened to knock me down again.

How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love...
Seasons of love. Seasons of love

But with this blog, I never strayed from stopping to measure. I measured my days, good days and bad days, laughter and tears, celebrations and frustrations, love growing and spreading. I took time to preserve lessons learned and the simple pleasures and beauty of my days. Painful or joyful, I appreciated all the moments I could.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes ago, or maybe 525948.768 minutes ago, I began a journey. I did not know quite where I was going but I took a few bold steps into the unknown. No fear. No expectations. I simply took a chance to see what would happen. That was 365 days ago, 365 blog posts ago.

It's time now to sing out, tho' the story never ends
Let's celebrate. Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love! Remember the love! Seasons of love!

I don’t know what this all means. I have harbored a few guesses at why this blog has been so important to me and why I have continued to press on, why I have pushed myself to write 365 posts in 365 days. But as I look back tonight at what I have accomplished here, it is surely significant to me. I have honored the writer I am, the wife, mother, teacher, and woman that I am. I have spoken to learn, to share, to express, to reflect, and to record. And I have spoken to praise and to honor those five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes I was given this year. Life is a most precious gift. I’ve done my best to live the past year as well as I could. Where do I go from here? Stay tuned. Stay with me and sit by my side. The views from the dock never cease to amaze me.

You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love.