If
You Think You’re Busy
My friend Judy used to say, “If you
think you’re busy now—retire.” At the time, I was working full time, taking
care of Jim, volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association, and involved in
Writers’ Guild. I thought there was no way that I could possibly be any busier.
Fast forward to now and I don’t know
how I ever had time to work. It seems that life should be more laid back in
retirement, and I should have plenty of time to read and relax. Except that I
don’t. Reading is usually reserved for bedtime, unless I get to feeling feisty
and spend the entire day in my pj’s curled up with a book. Well, I’m sure
that’s happened at least once since I retired in 2013.
I saw a post a few days ago that
said something about instead of making a to-do list, make a to-be list. It went
on to list things that a person might want to be. Of course, I can’t find where
I saw it, so the absolute queen of the to-do list—actually multitasking by
having several lists going at the same time—I decided to work on my own to-be
list.
Some
of the things I want to be:
Happy.
I’m not talking about telling a joke happy, because even the most depressed
people may laugh the loudest at a joke. I want to feel happiness in my soul, in
my being. I want to wake up each day to the thought that each day gives me new
opportunities to achieve my life’s goals. Each day gives me a chance to let go
of yesterday’s problems or failures.
Appreciative.
I want always to be grateful for time spent with family and friends. I
appreciate that my health, although not perfect, allows me to do most of the
things I want to do. Sure, it hurts my fingers to type, but I can still work
for a while before they quit on me. I want to concentrate on what’s working
instead of what’s gone wrong.
Thoughtful.
Being thoughtful is a two-sided coin. One side is to be thoughtful of
others and never hurt someone’s feelings deliberately. The other side is that I
want to think things through before popping off with something that offends
others. I want to think for myself, not be influenced by someone’s outrage or
political agenda. I hope that I’m always capable of being introspective and
never have a disease that would take that away from me.
A
Good Judge of Character. I want to surround myself with honest, moral
humans. I realize that no one is perfect and they won’t always agree with me
(even when I’m right), but if they have my back, I’ll have theirs. I can
forgive a lot of flaws, but I don’t want to waste my time with liars, cheaters,
thieves, or con artists.
Able
to Laugh. I have some family and friends who have no sense of humor.
Laughter is good for my mental health. If I can laugh at myself when I make
silly mistakes, it helps me to forgive myself for moments of stupidity.
A Woman Who Makes the Most of Life. I don’t just want to be alive—I want to live. I
realize that time manages me more than I manage it. I have books to read,
places to go, things to do, books to write, and songs to sing.
Yes, I’m busier than a normal human
being should be, but it’s the lifestyle I’ve chosen. I may want long “to-do” lists
of tasks, but my “to-be” list stretches to infinity and beyond.
Copyright © October 2019 by L.S.
Fisher
#ENDALZ
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