Time Well Spent

Time is of the essence

Time waits for no man

Time ticks on

Time flies

My life is very full.  Every day I have so many things to do, work related, family related, Michael related.  There are jobs I never seem to get around to doing, such as my business accounting, or other projects or chores that don't have a deadline.  Last week I took a day to visit Siren and draw Michael.  As I was driving to her house, I was feeling a bit guilty about all the things I SHOULD be doing, rather that drawing Michael, which really was just a luxury that I was indulging in.  

This week I am taking care of my one year old grandson for three days while my daughter goes to work.  I love being with him, he is such a happy, easy baby, but I was concerned that with such a big chunk of my time occupied with him, I would not get my usual jobs done.

Both of these activities have caused me to think more about time, and this is what I have realized.
There will never be enough time to do everything.  I thought about the day I spent with Siren, and what a difference it made to my view of myself to discover that it is possible for me to draw.  The impact on my life is huge!  This is a gift that can never be taken away from me.  Whether I draw him every day, or never again, I will always know that I can do it.  What other limits have I imagined I have?  Maybe I can do anything I choose!!!!   The value of the time I took that day can not be measured.  If I had done a bunch of errands instead, it would not have come close to making such a difference in my life.  Maybe time can not be measured by a checklist.

Yesterday was the first day babysitting my grandson.  I got so much done it was amazing!  My usual Monday errands I had done on Sunday, so I was already ahead.  He had a long nap in the morning and I was able to do some things I had been putting off for weeks.  Instead of being behind, I was actually way ahead!  This made me completely relaxed and able to really BE with him and enjoy it.  It was such a special day!  If I were to die tomorrow, I would be so happy to have spent time alone with my little Ryder Michael.

I have decided to measure time in terms of Joy.  This does not mean that I will stop doing the daily and weekly chores, but I know there is plenty of time to do what matters most.