Volunteer Pumpkin |
Still
dressed in my PJ’s and first cup of coffee in hand, I headed toward my
downstairs office yesterday morning. Harold had already forewarned me that as
soon as the weather was warm enough we would return to painting fence posts and
rails. I was determined to get an early start on my blog.
I sat in
front of my PC trying to decide if I dare jump into writing my blog post, or if
I should tackle my To-Do list first. I balanced the options in my head. If I
worked on my To-Do list, I would be jumping from task to task spinning my
figurative wheels in an attempt to multitask my multitasks. Hours would fly
past while I whittled down my list only to add more. The list has a life of its
own and is never ending.
Blog—a firm
decision. I should have done it Friday, and here it was Tuesday so I was
already four days behind. My quandary helped me decide on the title: “Welcome
to My World.”
I placed
my fingers on the keyboard and noticed my nail polish was worn and chipped. I
would have done them Monday before the Alzheimer’s Board meeting, but the power
was out when it was time to get ready and still out when I should have been
done. Just as I had thrown everything in the car to go to the other house to
shower, the power came back on.
I typed
the title, and my phone sounded an alarm. Ignore it, my left brain said. Better
look at it, my right brain replied.
Curiosity
won. Hair appointment: 10 a.m. What?
Well, that’s just dandy. Here it is 9:30, and I have to be dressed and in town
in thirty minutes.
I
abandoned my first cup of coffee and ran up the stairs knowing I’d need to be
dressed in record time. Short of breath, I rushed into Harold’s office to tell
him the good news. I threw on clothes and a little makeup. No need fussing with
my hair—that’s my hairdresser’s job. No need for earrings—they would just get
in the way.
After
getting my hair cut and styled, I made a quick trip to the grocery store. As I
put the groceries in the car, I saw the box of sponsor T-shirts in the backseat.
It was a perfect day to deliver them, but too warm to leave groceries in the
car. Besides, it was time to get home and paint. At least my hair looked great
until I put on the paint mask and pulled the elastic to the back of my head.
So,
seriously, welcome to my world. But then again, I think it’s everyone’s world
now. I don’t hold the patent on crazy, busy days. Looking back on my life, it
seems it has always been that way. When my kids were little, days blurred into
weeks, into months, and years until they weren’t little anymore. Then, Jim
became more dependent on me to provide his essential care. I became immersed in
caring for him and added volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association to the
To-Do list.
As if
working, being a caregiver, and volunteer work wasn’t enough, I went back to
college. How did I do it? I have no clue. I just took it a day at a time. Heck,
sometimes it was minute to minute.
I wonder
how any of us do it. Do we take on more than humanly possible, or are we just
making the most of the time we have allotted to us? Are we doing the things we
love, or are we fulfilling obligations and pushing aside what we really want to
do?
The
bottom line is that it’s all about balance. I don’t want to be the kind of
person that blows off obligations, but I don’t want to be the kind of person
that only has time for obligations. I don’t mind standing in the freezing cold
to ring the bell for Salvation Army any more than sitting in the comfort of my
home writing a press release for scholarships.
Variety
is as important as balance. This is how I’ve chosen to live, so I’m sharing,
not complaining. I’ve been blessed in so many ways and am thankful for the
world I’ve been given. I appreciate life’s special surprises, like the imperfect,
but determined, volunteer pumpkin that grew in our yard this year. With a smile, I welcome you to my world.
Copyright
© November 2015 by L.S. Fisher
http://earlyonset.blogspot
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