Friday February 17 2017  WHEN THE TIME COMES

Listening to books on CD is a favorite indulgence I enjoy.  Usually I listen in the car while traveling alone or carry around a CD in the pocket of my housecoat as I clean house.  Often I listen to books about the Scriptures, self improvement, finance, history, and lots of biographies and autobiographies.  And…sometimes I enjoy a good old fashioned novel.  At present the novel I am listening to is about a working wife living in New York City.  There are so many demands on her life, no time for friends or outside activities and she just walks out of her job in the middle of the day, goes home and packs and takes off.  She has no plans of where to go or what to do.  She did leave a note for her husband.  She left her watch behind and turned off her cell phone. 

I have to admit, there have been times in my life when I entertained thoughts such as those described in the book, but never acted on them.  There were a few times however when Dave came home from work and I would meet him at the door holding Courtland.  The minute Dave stepped across the threshold I said, “Here is your son, Rebecca’s in the other room.  I am leaving and I will be back after the kids are in bed”.  And I walked out without further explanation. 

Those events were few and far between but always culminated when I was “at the end of my rope” so to speak.  No one ever said life would be easy but there are days when I have wondered how much more complicated could it become.

Here I am retired and it seems as if I have complicated my own life.  The only thing is, I ENJOY WHAT I AM DOING TO MAKE IT SO COMPLICATED.  I love being with people, going places, cooking up a storm, working on album pages, writing a blog and poetry each day, and so on and so on.  I suspect what it all boils down to is that I am lousy at time management; and that, my friend, I am working to improve.  In a recent blog I stated that if we don’t like something about our life we should do what we can to correct what we don’t like.  So that is what I am in the process of doing.  Please don’t take my “ranting” as complaining, because I realize I have made my own bed and must now lie in it or get up and do something about it.  Well, I have decided to do something about it.  And I have already started.

Going to bed early is my first change.  And it is making a difference.  I go to sleep quickly.  Sleep deeply and wake up early.  Rising early is my benefit.  I love it.  I am fresh, ready to meet the world, and thus able to accomplish more while the day is young.  I have actually had my evenings free this week due to the fact that I had everything that had to be done accomplised early in the day.  I then had time in the evening to relax a bit before going to bed.  Going to bed early makes all the difference in being able to handle what I feel needs to be done in my daily existence.

Dave made a profound comment this morning and I heartily agreed.  His observation is that most of the pressures we put on ourselves is self inflicted.  And that is what spurred me on to write this blog.  Just think of this blog as my personal journal.  This is how I talk to myself but I am sharing it public today; sort of like airing my own dirty laundry.  Simply put, I must change that which is causing me angst while I still have the ability to do so.

There are so many things in life that we don’t have control over.  I can do nothing about my arthritis and my crippled fingers.  However I can do something about the pressures I put upon myself to accomplish all I used to accomplish when my hands worked as they should.  I must accept the fate that there are some things that now take longer to accomplish and other things I can no longer do at all.  That relieves a lot of my frustration as well as unnecessary physical pain.

I can control how much cooking I choose to do and slow down my hectic pace.  I can write shorter blogs so I have more time for other things.  (But as you can see it is not happening with this one.)  The projects I am currently doing will eventually be finished and I need not commit to others if I so choose.  The words “self inflicted” ring loud and true in my head as I give pause to interrogate myself about why I do what I do and how much I do. 

So what is it I do want to do?  I desire to finish downsizing (an old topic that is probably quite boring by now), get rid of boatloads of leftover things I do not need, have my library resituated, and then spend more time with my family and friends.  I would like to be available when I am needed to help a friend.  I would enjoy having more friends over.  I would probably even join a Bible Study group or go to the Senior Center and help out there.  But, am I then trading one kind of busyness for another kind of busyness? Or perhaps I should just get old and do nothing?  No…I don’t think I’m there yet.  I still have too much energy and get up and go power.  That will end soon enough; I might as well enjoy it while I have it.

Oh well, Rome was not defeated in one day.  I guess I won’t be either.  I’ll just challenge myself to be better organized, less cluttered in my time  (and on my desk), go to bed early, rise early, cook less, eat less, and spend more time with friends and family.  And…work out four days a week.  Remember, if I don’t use it I will lose it!  So as long as I can shake, I’m gonna keep shakin’!

 

AND WHEN THE TIME COMES

Kathleen Martens

February 17, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

 

This aging thing

Can get quite hairy.

Trying to slow down

Makes me quite wary.

 

I like to keep going

But my day runs out,

And night comes too soon,

Without a doubt.

 

So I must call a stop

To how I do what,

And when I do things

Remember how to halt.

 

Perhaps I must decide

To do fewer things

That will suffice

And joy to me bring.

 

But I think I’m afraid

Of what I might lose,

So in this bargain

I must carefully choose.

 

Life will necessitate

Someday what I do.

And until that day comes

I desire to ensue.

 

I’ll do what I can,

And do what brings joy.

And will be brash and bold,

Without being coy.

 

Too soon restricted

By old age.

So what I can do

Is currently my wage.

 

I purely enjoy doing,

But I will simplify.

And perhaps the years

I will defy.

 

And when the time comes,

It is then I will face

What I can no longer accomplish,

And then accept it with grace.

 

Thank You God for helping me to reprioritize my life.

Thank You God for the energy my body still enjoys.

Thank You for a strong constitution.

Thank You God for this day of life.

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!  GOD BLESS YOU!