Probably you have more exciting things to do on a Friday night.
Me? I’ve been running around like a headless chicken for the last four hours. Pay the bills. Pow-wow with daughter about a project she wants help on. Trip to Target for the glamorous stuff we all have to buy. Stop for food on the way home because by now it’s 7:30 and I’m too hungry to cook.
All the while I’m thinking, “As soon as I get all this stuff done I can work on the blog and then tomorrow I can WRITE.” (Even though I had no idea what I was going to blog about.)
Do you ever do that? Expend tons of energy trying to get to the point where you can do what you really want to do?
By then I was tired and a little achy and thought I would be comfortable on my bed, maybe a little TV in the background while I cleaned up the corners of my day.
Well, I left my glasses downstairs in my office. Then the remote needed new batteries. Of course. Back downstairs. Then the cap to my water bottle was not on tight enough and it spilled all over my shirt. Then I remembered a note I needed to leave myself—yes, downstairs—about something I’m going to do tomorrow.
You get the drift.
In the middle of all this—and perhaps oblivious to it all—my son comes in with his iPhone for what has become a weekly ritual for us: Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Hashtags feature. Fallon creates a hashtag and invites tweets. It always trends worldwide in 15 minutes and Fallon always says it’s “awesome.” I always mimic the way he says that. But it’s always funny, and it’s always a moment my son wants to share with me. (Though he does reserve the right to edit topics if he thinks his old mother’s ears will be too sensitive. Does he think I lived under a rock before he came of age?)
I used to think I didn’t have time for late night nonsense. I mean, if it happens past my bedtime in the first place, do I really need it in my life? I would sort of half-listen to placate my son while I emptied the dishwasher or something actually useful. But he would follow me around with his phone and jab it in front of my face to make sure I was listening. After awhile I realized I was laughing, and that it was a lot more fun if I just stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the humor, to be interested in something my son is interested in, to realize he is reaching out.
So if you’re having a headless chicken kind of day, with your life’s blood draining out of you, stop.
Just stop.
What is happening right in front of you that can lighten your day, bring you joy, give you a breather?
Boy does this post hit me where I live, Olivia! Because I’m responsible for 3 houses, plus my dad’s house a little bit, and 3 men – one 93, one 85 and one 62 – I’m constantly working dawn til dusk and past just to give myself one to three hours in the morning to write. Those hours are bliss. Everything else is nuts. My husband and I recently took a vacation for 10 days, which required a week beforehand of prep (no time to write) and a week after to catch up (a couple of hours to write) and then my husband woke up sick and in extreme pain. Gall bladder attack. Add to our agenda a weekend in the hospital.
So now we’re both exhausted and I’m behind on my work again. Way behind. BUT, my break times come when I take time out to give thanks. Thank you, Lord, that my husband’s surgery was successful. Thank you, Lord, that this didn’t happen when we were on vacation. Thank you, Lord, that the elders I care for were understanding and only one had a minor hissy fit during this time of stress! Thank you, Lord, for good medicine and clean hospitals and caring, praying friends and family. We are so blessed!
Cluck, cluck, cluck. I’m reading your post and nodding my head at just about every line. Especially about the part of getting into bed only to discover your glasses are elsewhere – I fixed that though, I now have three pairs of glasses…bedroom, sitting room, handbag.
Sue, your poor husband has my utmost sympathy. I know only too well the pain of a gall bladder attack. Praise God I had mine out 38 years ago…when I was 6 1/2 months pregnant with my son. After having multiple gall bladder attacks, having a baby was a breeze!
Thanks, Lyn and Sue, for commenting. Sorry I’m only now seeing the comments! My notifications seem to have gone awry. We all need to just take a breather once in a while!
Um…have you been told this is ridiculously cute? Because it is. Adorable!!! Thanks so much for likning it up last week, hope you’ll join us tomorrow. Also, we’ll be sharing this as one of our favorite things from last week!