Falling Behind Again

I can always tell when I am busy at work or at home or stressed.  Papers and more pile up around the computer, on the desk in the kitchen.  Laundry gets washed, but never folded.  The kids are sent to the laundry room each morning to dig through piles of clean, and now wrinkled clothing.

This is one of those times.  Much of the stress comes from a total lack of down time.  For the first time in 9 years, we stayed home for December break.  Every other year we went to visit one or both sets of parents.  Since the onset of Family Day, we have traveled to Ottawa for the long weekend.  Both are important breaks.

This year we were looking forward to staying home for December break. We thought it would be relaxing. I took a few days off anyway.  Lo and behold, nature had other plans.  The ice storm removed any chance for a relaxing break.  Although we we without power for only one day, we offered space and electricity to others. Sean was worrying over the synagogue and his members.  Instead of relaxing days of sleeping in, it was weeks of stress and worry.

We never realized how important the break in February has been.  For four days we put work and worry aside.  If it's cold, it's okay because it's Winterlude.  If we're cold, we simply go back to the hotel and drink hot cocoa.  It's the only vacation we have taken in a decade, but it's a very important 4 days.  It also acts like a punctuation mark to the winter.  From that moment on we know spring is coming.  We can put up with the cold and lingering winter after the break.  This year there has been no break.  The unending cold just pounds at us.

Winter is a busy work time.  It piles up.  There is a lull beginning now, but still so much work to do.  Financials, newsletters, website- there is never a lack.

The other thing that suffers is my writing. I have notes everywhere with ideas, but they rarely get transferred to paper (or pixels).  Some ideas have been

• Pothole Dodgeball (which I thing about everyday in the car)
• Feel Good Movies (eh quality films which are oh so sweet)
• My Don't Laugh at Me Moment ("Don't Laugh at Me" is a song by Peter, Paul, & Mary about bullying and shutting people out.  I thought about it after a long discussion with a homeless man, to whom I'd given some change.  I think the conversation was as important as the change.  So few even acknowledge a beggar. A line in the song is, "And don't think I haven't noticed that our eyes never meet." I always make sure to, at the very least, make eye contact, and hopefully talk a bit with anyone to whom I give money or food.)
• Jesse & Snowman (The last time it snowed, I asked the kids if they wanted to build a snowman.  Keren immediately burst into the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman".  While this was surprising, more surprising was the fact that, not only had Keren memorized the words, but that Jesse also knew all the lyrics.  How is it my 17 year old son knows that song?  He's always full of surprises.)

Finally...

• At Forty The Wheels Fall Off (Five years ago I had my eyes checked, as I do every year.  My prescription was exactly the same, but since I had just turned 40, my optometrist, Dr. Kerry Salsberg, whom I recommend, said it was just a matter of time.  He was right of course.  Somehow 40 is a major health turning point.  It must be a statement about our proper lifespan.  I wish I knew what the statement was.  But it's true.  After 40 we heal slower.  There are daily pains.  Aches I thought had healed have come back.  I wake with a back ache or my shoulder hurting.  My feet hurt where they had not before.  It's not all bad.  I've had knee issues since I was 12, and either my tolerance has improved or the knees have.  I am more able to deal with the aches.  It doesn't really matter why.  I am happy and satisfied with who and what I am.  

Now if only the sun would come back, and I could get that vacation.