TIME

It's Friday, people, and I'm sitting here on my couch listening to Soundscapes and enjoying some peace and quiet after a hectic day at school. I had a program...errr..demonstration, in my own words, for the Preschool and Toddler parents. I suppose it went well...I am always my toughest critic. Anyway, I now get to enjoy relaxing and anticipating fun times this weekend.

There isn't much of our calendar that isn't filled up with something. Work, family get-togethers, dinners with friends, a church service or function, grad class, a little outing here, a daytrip there. It's kind of a fun game to start with a new month on the calendar and see how quickly it gets scribbled on. I consider all of this a blessing - health, wealth, family and friendships make this all possible.

There are times, however, when the priorities of your life get tangled up with the...let's call it "superfluousness". I like that word. Sometimes I catch myself running around aimlessly trying to get somewhere fast, only to turn around and head the other direction, racing against the clock to make it to my destination. I've never ran a marathon (although I wear Ben's Chicago marathon shirt sometimes - who am I fooling?), but I assume the experiences are comparable. The gun fires and you're on your way, stopping occasionally for a potty break and a little triangle cup of water, only to toss it on the side of the road and beat the pavement. Eventually this all catches up with you (for Ben I believe it was mile 13), and you hit the wall. For runners, this is a mental challenge. For me, it's a physical one.

After running around for days and days without rest or ample breath-catching, my body says "ENOUGH! You are DONE, lady!" And then I am forced to take a break and recoup, sometimes at the expense of certain activities and obligations.

I think I made some enemies in college doing this, or at least provoked some irritation. When my schedule got too full, I would just say, "Enough", and graciously bow out of some organization or group. Some people thought this was rude and selfish...maybe even a little lazy. But I knew that I wasn't okay with the idea of spending my life running from one meeting to another, never taking some time to just breathe and BE.

To add insult to injury, I have a hard time saying no to people/organizations/things. "Share your gifts and talents!", they say. What good is my gift if it's coming from a worn-down spirit functioning on life support? The world does not want us to rest. In fact, it looks down on it. Work, Work, Work!! When we were in Charleston, South Carolina last year on a walking tour, our AMAZING tour guide Tommy Dew told us that the reason people in the "North" have been so tense and stressed throughout the past century or so is because we have less warm months for tending to crops than those Southerners, so we tend to work longer hours to get all of our "sowing and reaping" done in time. That explains a lot.

My philosophy is this: Rest is good - take some. Have you ever heard the quote, "No one ever said on their death bed - 'I wish I would have spent more time in the office'"?

How about this one - "No one ever said on their death bed - "I wish I would have spent more time:

1. In line at Starbucks
2. Filling out paperwork
3. Feeling sorry for myself
4. Going to a committee meeting
5. On the internet - ha!
6. Being mad at someone
7. Inspecting melons at the grocery store

You get the point. I'm going to go back to my Soundscapes now. Have a relaxing weekend, and if you find yourself knee deep in activities over the next few days, I hope they are the kind that fill up your soul, not just your agenda.

HOLLA -