After all of the writing I have done this weekend, you would think I would be finished. But I am not.
I had a lot of alone time this weekend, which is good. I like my own company and I think it is essential to a good marriage to have interests outside of the couple. My husband loves his racing, so I encourage him to get with his team and go to the races whenever he wants. I get a lot of projects done while he is away and I get caught up on chick flicks. When he returns I have sufficiently missed him and am glad to have him back at home. (That is until I see the mound of dirty clothes he puts into my newly emptied hamper!)
While pondering things this weekend, I thought about my life and what I am doing with it. I find that as I get older I feel more of an urgency to make every moment count. I seem to see three paths ahead of me, that is if you don’t count throwing in the towel and sitting at home from now on, which is clearly an option.
None of the 3 roads is easy. All three are scary in their own way. I like scary. I like not easy. I like adventure, to a point. And I like to be unpredictable.
Too often I hear people say, “Let’s just make it easy.” I always smile and say “Sure”, because asking for difficulty and ranting about laziness rarely wins you friends. That is what this blog is for- to be weird and rant!
What is wrong with NOT taking the easy way out? When did putting effort into things become a sin? Why would I waste my time on anything that I wasn’t 100% willing to commit to and give it my all?
If it is a holiday, why wouldn’t I get out nice dishes, arrange some flowers and cook a more elaborate meal? After all, my family is worth the extra work. Whatever the holiday, is it not meaningful enough to put some effort into? Baby Jesus’ birthday? Not a time to be lazy. Honoring our fallen soldiers? Why is that not worth my best?
And doing a fundraiser or hosting a meeting? If it isn’t worth some hard work and planning, why the hell are you even doing it?
“Let’s just keep it simple.” I hear that over and over. Why? Is that all you are capable of? I don’t mean spend a lot of money or show off in a way that is beyond your means. I mean actually put your heart and soul into everything you do. I mean, do the most you can for those you love and take the time to make each day special. Celebrate with true joy the things that make life worth living. Don’t save the candle, the nice dishes, that new recipe. So it is hard? Don’t care. Make the effort. Feel accomplished. Feel excited and push yourself.
If you want to sit around and make life simple, all you will be is lazy and disappointed. Because try as you might, life isn’t always simple. But it can be exciting, fun, special. You can feel like you are making things better for those around you. And you can feel at the end of the day, as if you put in the effort to grow some flowers, have a clean house and celebrate the things you are grateful for.
Let’s NOT make it easy. Let’s make it extraordinary. We have one life and for all we know we only have today. Let’s give it everything we have and rejoice. Let’s make it count!
