I used to work all the time, and now if there is a wedding

The words of Petra Nemcová—“I used to work all the time, and now if there is a wedding, there's a concert, I'm there.”—are the song of one who has turned from toil to the embrace of life’s fleeting joys. Once consumed by endless work, she now treasures the sacred gatherings where love, music, and community are celebrated. In her words, we hear the wisdom of balance: that a life spent only in labor is a life half-lived, and that true richness lies in being present for moments that cannot return.

This utterance reveals the eternal tension between duty and celebration. Work feeds the body, but weddings and concerts feed the soul. To neglect them is to deny oneself the warmth of shared humanity. Nemcová’s shift is a lesson to all: that success and labor lose their luster if they blind us to the beauty of connection, joy, and song. For when life draws to its twilight, it is not the hours of work we recall, but the dances, the embraces, the music that echoed in our hearts.

History bears this truth in the tale of Charles Dickens, who, though burdened with endless writing, still cherished the gatherings of family and the laughter of friends. His works endure not only because of his discipline, but because he understood the human need for love and celebration. Like Dickens, Nemcová reminds us that the fruits of labor are sweetest when shared, and that one must pause to partake of life’s feasts.

Her words are also a hymn to presence. To say, “I am there,” is to affirm a new way of living: not as a slave to constant striving, but as one who chooses to witness and honor the milestones of others. The wedding is more than ceremony—it is the covenant of love. The concert is more than music—it is the harmony of souls. To attend is to weave oneself into the fabric of community, to affirm that joy multiplies when shared.

Let this wisdom endure: seek not only achievement, but also presence. The measure of a life well-lived is not the weight of its labors, but the depth of its moments. As Petra Nemcová teaches, to step away from ceaseless work and into the embrace of life’s celebrations is not to lose, but to gain everything. For in the end, it is in love and music, in weddings and concerts, that the heart remembers it was born not only to labor, but to rejoice.