When my online calendar gave me the following alert, “Caution! There are conflicts in your schedule.” I paused, briefly. No kidding, I thought. Two working parents, three kids in sports, an aging dog, doctors and dentists appointments for all….There are bound to be a few conflicts in the schedule. Until I figure out how to invent time or bi-locate, those conflicts are going to have to learn to co-exist.
This week marked the beginning of a mind-numbing schedule full of activities and appointments that are all essential (according to their participants.) I sometimes envision my online calendar with a life of its own – like the 1970s sci-fi movies about smart computers taking over humanity. It appears as if I enter one item and it magically multiplies until the once neat white/gray grid is eclipsed in a wall of red.
Joking aside, I’m well-aware of my responsibility in creating this mess. I’ve given too many yes’ and not enough no’s – clearly. But like many things in life, if you think too much about decisions before making them, you get stuck in the details and never move forward. So, I say yes without having any idea how I will manage the details. A clever man – aka husband – once said, “we’ll never be able to afford kids on paper but somehow it all works out.” So far, he’s right.
Darryl Worley advises,
Sounds like life to me plain old destiny
You gotta hold on tight just enjoy the ride
Get used to all this unpredictability
Sounds like life.
I’ve surrendered to this somewhat comforting outlook on life. Which is why, when asked to be a home-stay volunteer for an out-of-town student group this weekend, I gave a sincere ‘yes.’ Might be fun – after the extra cleaning, (i.e. gutting and fumigating a child’s bedroom), food shopping, and juggling of carpools.
So why take on so much? Truth is, I love being busy. The ‘busy’ reminds me that I am abundant. I am needed. Taylor Swift points out, “Life makes love look hard.” Love takes work and patience and time. But someday, when I look at my kids’ healthy, straight teeth, I’ll forget the umpteen trips to the orthodontist and the endless arguments about brushing and flossing. When I hear them tell stories about the time they scored a goal or broke a bone, I’ll forget the rushing around from one sports field to the next. I’m willing to bet that Trace Adkins is correct in predicting, “I’m gonna miss this.”
For now, I have to keep a sense of humor and hope that those around me will do the same. Like when the police officer pulled me over and asked, “Ma’am, do you know how fast you were going?” I replied with a definitive, “Yes, I do. Very fast. Would you like to see my calendar?”
Chaos & Clarity 