On Hold

Yesterday's waxing moon rising in the east at day's end.
Tonight is full moon. (Click on photo to enlarge)

Some days I feel like I’m on hold. You know—those times when you sit on the phone and no one is on the other end? “Would you hold, please?” At those times, all the things that you need to do or would like to be doing come to mind, and all you can do is listen to the awful music in the back ground. There are days that I feel as though all the things I need to do are sitting out there just beyond my reach. All day long I am called to do tasks that are not on my “to do” list. I listen to an amazing number of stories. I look at pairs of Lord of the Rings action figures to decide which one is more realistic. I’m given comic strips to read, and I am asked to proof articles written for 4-H.

Just as bad are the days I am caught in the web of computer generated operators. “If you know the number of the extension you are calling, you may dial that at any time. If you wish to speak with customer service, please press 2”. In my day-to-day life I have found that my most efficient way of getting my tasks done is to have a sheet of paper with all of them listed. When I am not comparing Lord of the Rings action figures, I can check my list to see what needs to be done. If I did not have this list I would not be able to juggle all my tasks on a daily basis. However, this list is just like the “Press 2” concept. What do I need to do next? Oh, yeah! There are 27 piles of laundry in that little room over there! And when I get done with that, I need to get something out of the freezer so that we can eat supper later today, and, by the way, I really need to go back upstairs and water Fern and brush my teeth… I chafe under the requirements of the day. I much prefer to be a free and easy going person who cleans house when I’m in the mood. I don’t want to punch in the last 4 digits of my husband’s Social Security number! I want to PLAY! I want to grab a book and read for fun and pleasure. I want to play fetch with the cat and I want to watch TV! I’m still a kid at heart—the youngest one who never quite grew out of her spoiled brat stage. I definitely do not like being told what to do and when to do it!

Someone once told me that the tasks that are not on our lists each day are the special tasks that God has given to us—time with children and family, caring for the needs of others in a Christ-like manner. As far as the “to do” list, well, it is always good to force my unstructured spirit into adult responsibility that it wants to shrug off. At 47 I still need to learn and practice discipline—I will never outgrow that!

So I need to be off. I need to grab that roast out of the freezer and toss a load of blue jeans into the washer. I need to brush my teeth and make myself as pleasant to be with as possible for those who have to be around me today—a little make-up, a neat appearance, a smile, and a composed spirit. And if I apply myself to the required tasks this morning, I’ll have a whole hour this afternoon to “play”; at bedtime I’ll curl up with a good book.

Life is good!


Thoughts from my Big Green Chair

Have you ever pondered how you want to be remembered? What stories will our children tell about us? Will our family and friends laugh lovingly at our quirks?

One of my favorite verses comes from I Thessalonians 4:11-12—

“Make it your ambition to lead a quite life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life will win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

I’d like that to be what they remember about me. I better get busy…