Time. It seems there is never enough of it. We could all use more of it. Me included (especially when my monthly editorial is due).
Time truly is a gift. It is short. It can’t be recovered or made. Time is valuable, so making the most of it is crucial.
It is why I’m grateful for the gift of your time, which you give us. We appreciate you taking the time to read North Dakota Living each month. We appreciate you staying informed on the issues affecting cooperatives, the electric industry, our communities and our state. We take the gift of your time seriously, and we value making the most of your time.
This month, we will be conducting a North Dakota Living readership survey. If you receive a call or a text requesting your participation in this survey, we hope you’ll take the time to complete it. The readership survey is one way your cooperative gathers feedback on this publication. It gauges how we are doing and provides direction to help plan for the future. It helps us produce a magazine each month that you find valuable, purposeful and enjoyable.
Time is also a thief.
For those heading back to school, I regret to inform you summer break will soon expire. The back-to-school transition will look different in the Kramer household this year, as our oldest child prepares to leave the nest.
With each passing moment, I become more aware my daughter is on the cusp of adulthood. The time we have together – living in the same house, all the Kramers together under one roof – is almost up.
I feel my wife and I still have more to teach, but hope we’ve done enough to prepare our daughter for this next chapter. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. Most likely she is more ready than we are.
Someone recently explained parenting at this point in life is like shooting an arrow: The final moments before, during and after the launch have the most significant impact on the direction the arrow ultimately takes. Similarly, how we release our daughter into this world is every bit as important as what’s been done to this point.
She will choose her own path, and I hope she feels empowered to do so.
Tears will likely be shed. Of course, we will still be parenting from miles away, willing and eager to lend a hand or provide advice (which she will not be legally obligated to follow). And as we move into this next chapter, as with every stage of life with our firstborn, we will roll with it and learn as we go.
I am certain there will be a father-daughter FaceTime session soon. I will eagerly await that call, prepared to provide detailed instruction on how to check the oil level or tire pressure. And I will most definitely “have the time.”
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Josh Kramer, editor-in-chief of North Dakota Living, is executive vice president and general manager of NDAREC. Contact him at jkramer@ndarec.com.
