Finding the Balance

Do you ever feel like your life is filled with “busy-ness”? Like, you tell yourself, Once I’m finished with X-Y-Z, I can take a breath and relax! Or, you think As soon as I’m done with these fill-in-the-blank activities, things will get back to normal.

 

That’s kind of how I’ve been feeling the past couple of months. Starting at the end of June I had a fancy wedding to attend and then I had to recover from Covid that I caught at the fancy wedding. Then I had to help settle an estate and get a house ready to sell, and then I had a hot pink birthday party to organize, and then in the fall, I had a two-week (amazing) vacation to take. And as soon as I returned, I had a Twig bazaar to work and then a book club to host (which included cleaning baseboards. I hate cleaning baseboards…)

 

So once I finished with the book club gig recently, I did feel this sense of relief that I could finally take a breath and relax.

 

For a minute, anyway. Because now we’re in the midst of the holiday season. And while that doesn’t mean what it used to mean for me because I don’t have a lot of decorating to do, gifts to buy and wrap or food to prepare for guests, there is still more busy-ness that inherently comes with the holidays.

 

Of course, I realize that I create some of this busy-ness myself.

 

Would anyone have really cared that I didn’t clean the baseboards before my book club? Well, anyone besides someone who is deathly allergic to dust?

 

And during my hot pink birthday party would anyone have really cared that I had the perfect hot pink necklace to match the theme? No, because, frankly, I forgot to wear it that day. It was only after I got home and saw it on the counter that I had to smack myself in the forehead and chastise myself for my forgetfulness. But then I had to immediately laugh because, really, no one knew or cared that my perfectly matching necklace was sitting on the bathroom counter!

 

Instead, all I really needed to think about was how much fun I had that day surrounded by my friends whom I love and who love me back (despite not wearing the perfect hot pink necklace).

 

I was talking to a friend on the phone who said he had quit his job. So now he’s retired. And bored.

 

He hadn’t intended to completely quit. His plan was to cut back his hours to part-time, but his boss pulled that one last underhanded scheduling maneuver that forced his hand.  

 

So he’s been home at home for a couple of weeks and is feeling completely bored with his life.

 

I don’t understand that. For me, there is always something going on. And if there is a break in the calendar, I don’t wait for someone to call me – I start making calls and filling up my schedule.

 

Nobody is responsible for my busy-ness but me. If I don’t have enough going on, then it’s up to me to make something fun happen. And if it’s too busy, then I know I should cut back a little.

 

It’s all about finding the balance. Something I’m still working on.

 

Here’s what is so interesting about my friend being bored now that he doesn’t have a job to go to every day. He wasn’t the sort to travel or go on trips, so he took staycations.  And he always enjoyed those times off.

 

But, now, he’s looking down the abyss of nothing on the schedule from this point forward and he’s wondering what to do with his life without a 40-hour work week.

 

I tried to tell him. That life slows down a bit. Now, instead of working eight hours and then fitting in grocery-shopping, gas tank-filling, dog-walking, dinner-making and laundry-folding chores before and after that eight-hour workday, the day can become the grocery-shopping, gas tank-filling, dog-walking, dinner-making and laundry-folding activities.

 

And then, if you want to fit lunch or dinner with a friend in between all that, so much the better!

 

He doesn’t see the benefit quite yet.

 

I suggested he give it a little time to see if there are any activities he especially enjoys or groups he might like to join. I’m hoping he will soon. If not, perhaps he could find a part-time job he enjoys.  

 

Do greeters still welcome you to Walmart? Or do they just insist on checking your receipt to make sure you’ve properly scanned all your stuff? (Y’know – their job.)

 

Yeah, maybe not the best idea for him.

 

Ah well. We all have to figure out our own path.

 

Meanwhile, I’ve spent way too much time trying to finish this blog. So my “busy-ness” is getting in the way of doing things I really enjoy. Looks like I need to make some adjustments.

 

Ooh…I’ve got it. If I give up laundry-folding and gas-tank filling, that ought to slow me down some – right?!

 

Now if I could only get Maggie Minx to walk herself – for at least half of her daily walks – I’d be golden.