Lately I have been giving some thought to the way that time is used by me, by my family and in life in general.
I have been struck with the thought that if I were to list my activities outside of work activities, so many of them seemed to be aimed at preparing for or wrapping up from leisure activities. And that’s what gets me. Here we have a fun activity (sleep away camp, going to the cottage for a long weekend, going to a family reunion on Ottawa, having friends to cottage etc..) and all my time seems to be used and spent on preparing for these great events. And then after they are over, cleaning up after them.
So all that is essentially left is the activity itself and not much else. Hope I enjoy them! Enjoy those moments!
So am I normal? For some reason I think not.
So either I take way more time to prepare or I have just way more of those activities to plan for –which is very possibly true.
I think if my kids were in organized sport 4-5 times per week, I would just lose it. Thank goodness I understand my own limits.
I seem to need a lot of unstructured time in the summer, maybe because my work and days are so demanding? I don’t know.
I just know that the most precious moments I have in life, the ones that I get the most pleasure from, the ones that will stay etched in me forever are all during unstructured time.
They are not when we are running to get to a party
They don’t happen at the ice rink watching hockey
They don’t occur when I am packing for the cottage
They are not present when I am doing the laundry after a long weekend
They don’t happen at the waterslides, at camps or by text.
They happen when I am in the present, enjoying the moment and available both physically and mentally.
When there is time for the unplanned.
For peace.
For connection.
For just being together.
Like last night with Bear at the table just the three of us and all the precious and secret stories about graduation.
Like stopping at friends for a cupcake unplanned and staying for a bit when I got my daughter.
Like having made time this week for a lunch with my wonderful friend, SoulKeeper who is about to have a baby any day now (out of anyone I know this paricular friend is the mots peaceful and present woman I know-great example for me)
Like taking an extra day at the cottage with my Mom instead of taking 3 clients
Like being in the Jacuzzi with my Hubby at 1am under the stars even though I should be sleeping
I will always believe that it is in these precious moments that real life is experienced and felt. For me anyways.
And I will never have enough of these moments or make enough time for them.
And if I have too many-I won’t appreciate them as much as I do right now because they would not be as special.
And I will try as hard as I can to ensure that outside of my work which is of course very structured, much planned, very organized and very busy (which I love to have this there)…that I try to stop and smell the flowers often outside of this.
To remind myself that I am at my best when I am present.
And to be present as often as I can and still have the kind of life that keeps me packing, moving, socializing and going all the time.
Like an Energizer Bunny who wants to once in a while run out of fuel and is very content to take a break.
