I have noticed that I tend to rush through life. I realize a lot of people must feel this way, but it has whomped me in the head recently. I notice that my life is a constant countdown. Wake up at 7 = 1 hour before I have to leave. Get to work at 8:30 = 2 hours before I can take a break. 2 hours until I go to lunch, 4 hours until I get to go home, 30 minutes until I have to make dinner, 15 minutes and then it's bedtime. I do enjoy the finer points of everyday - waking up to my boys, getting home from work and them greeting me, sweet kisses at bedtime, listening to them read their stories for homework. But with all the counting down, am I enjoying them as much as I could? Probably not.
2 good deed stories that have made me slow down and think:
1. I was on my way to Indy to hang out with Ceili and Holly for our "2 Peas and Me" crafting day. I gave her a box FULL of crafty things so she could make her own headbands with us! She decided we were going to do it the next day. Not what I had planned, but perfect anyway! We crafted, went to lunch, and had fro-yo at Orange Leaf (yuuumm!). Good, good day. Back to the good deed - I was in Columbus getting ready to get on the interstate. At the point where I was, there were 8 lanes - 2 merge lanes, 3 traffic lanes going both directions. A gentleman was holding up traffic because he was WALKING across the street. Seriously?! I assume I muttered some mean things under my breath - does he want to hold up traffic and then die so I will be stuck here longer?! When he got closer, he was holding something. It was round - possibly he lost a hubcap or something? No excuse. What was it he was holding?! A turtle. Yes - a big turtle that must have lost his way and ended up in danger on a busy highway. I mutter annoynces to a good samaritan who was saving a turtle. I gave myself a mental kick in the hiney and go about my day in a better mood.
2. Adam recently went to Chicago for 2 days. Only 2 days this time, and only 1 night. Not so bad - still don't like when he is gone though. Now that it is football season, Adam being MIA makes for a rushy kind of day. Yesterday, I had to leave work by 5 to go pick up the boys, change in the car, get water somewhere, and make it to practice by 6. I didn't leave by 5, and we didn't make it to practice - but the point still stands. I am waiting in the Vern at the light to turn on to 7 so I can head home. 2 cute little old men are out of their truck, trying to push it through the intersection - right when my light turned green. Seriously?! You had to have started when the light was red - did you even look up?!?! I watch them struggle to push the car through the intersection - I feel bad, but I am also in a huuuuurry! Then, my hope for the future of our generation was restored. 4 guys come running up 7 to help these sweet men get their truck through the intersection. They left their cars running where they were to help out a fellow human in need. Wow. That was what I needed - I may have been in a hurry, but I needed to see people forgetting about themselves to help out someone else.
I slowed down a little bit last night and enjoyed every second. Avatar with the boys, then homework, then Honeynut Cheerios for dinner. (Don't judge....it was delish!) We read some books, then went to bed. Boys wanted to wait for Daddy to get home - but their eyeballs could barely stay open. Tommy gave in and went to bed if I promised to tell Daddy "Welcome Home" from him. So I did. I even stayed up way too late so I could be awake when he came home. We caught up on all our shows - I didn't watch one while he was gone! How is that for self control?! Beating myself up today - but worth it to slow down and enjoy those important times.
How did that carry over to today? It did not. I am counting down the minutes until I can go to lunch, then will restart for when I can go home. I am going to attempt to turn off my counter downer once I hit the front door, but I will also be home with Adam, the boys, Jaxx and the cats. It is so easy to not want times like that to end. :)
Peace - and sloooowing doooown :)
