I feel blessed to have been raised by parents with an exceptional concept of work/life balance. Exceptional, because it was the exception. It was steady on work, heavy on life. We didn't have a lot, but boy we had A LOT! We learned about doing things well, but not doingdoingdoing all the time. We had chores and responsibility, but we also read a lot of books, spent a lot of time playing in the cow pasture, and were constantly creating.
This heritage is ingrained in me, and is part of my inspiration to shift to a different pace now that we have reached the parenting phase of life. I'm now working outside of the home only 2 days a week, and hope do so even less as/if our family expands, but the balance is perfect for now. Maybe it's not necessary...many moms have more kids than me and work full time. But it seems necessary for me and mine. I guess is what matters.
Once I had the idea that this schedule change would equal a spotless house and lots of completed projects. So far, though, it has meant more time to play with my kiddo, more dirty laundry from playing in the mud, more time spent putting together puzzles and playing "africa toys", and more projects left half finished because of a little boy begging "play with me, mom". Playing seems to be the theme.
My own Mom was 46 when she died. I was never blessed to meet my mother-in-law, who was also in her 40s when she died. Every day this reminds me that getting is less important than giving...giving time, experiences, tickles, snuggles, songs, kisses, horsey rides, all the good stuff. This post is more of a note-to-self than anything; something to remember when I feel left behind by the Joneses. This is the life I am choosing!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Piles
I hate piles. They are a sign of things unfinished: unread mail piles, unfolded clothes piles, unfiled paper piles, unorganized junk piles, unwashed clothes piles, things-to-be-taken-upstairs piles, unwashed dishes piles, things-to-give-away piles. They make life cluttered and create stress!
In 2011, I'm going to try to eliminate piles. Well, within reason! Obiously I will not run a load of laundry until I have accumulated a enough of a pile to make it worthwhile, but that takes all of 5 minutes so it won't be an obstacle. Why is this a worthwhile goal? Because I want to develop a new habit of dealing with things now rather than later--the physical piles, electronic piles, and other "unseeable" piles. I tend to set things aside to deal with later, usually because I tell myself "I don't have time for this right now". In truth, that is rarely the case. I DO have time to unload the dishwasher. What does it take? 5 minutes? I DO have time to throw in a load of laundry first thing in the morning. I DO have 2 seconds to pick up a pair of shoes. I DO have 2 minutes to return an email, write a thank-you card, or make a phone call. I have this awful, lazy habit of ignoring things, but these things don't go away, and I will have to deal with them eventually, so why not now?
In 2011, I'm going to try to eliminate piles. Well, within reason! Obiously I will not run a load of laundry until I have accumulated a enough of a pile to make it worthwhile, but that takes all of 5 minutes so it won't be an obstacle. Why is this a worthwhile goal? Because I want to develop a new habit of dealing with things now rather than later--the physical piles, electronic piles, and other "unseeable" piles. I tend to set things aside to deal with later, usually because I tell myself "I don't have time for this right now". In truth, that is rarely the case. I DO have time to unload the dishwasher. What does it take? 5 minutes? I DO have time to throw in a load of laundry first thing in the morning. I DO have 2 seconds to pick up a pair of shoes. I DO have 2 minutes to return an email, write a thank-you card, or make a phone call. I have this awful, lazy habit of ignoring things, but these things don't go away, and I will have to deal with them eventually, so why not now?
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