Slow Down

     I don't like to be busy. In fact, if I have a really busy day or week I get frustrated. I haven't decided yet if this a good quality or not. I have things to do, but I am not a busy person. I don't care if I get stopped at a red light and I'm not annoyed when we catch the train, in fact, I'm excited the kids get to see it and that I have more time to listen to music in my van. I'm usually early to everything and in no hurry to get to places and appointments. Sometimes I feel guilty that I enjoy so many moments during the week. It seems like a lot of us are just too busy trying to get to the weekends that we don't enjoy anything in between. I know sometimes that can't be helped, and some of  us don't have the option of slowing down. There's nothing wrong with saying no or putting something off for a better time. Just because I can fit in one more thing doesn't mean I should and if I try to take on too much something always suffers. I think this could be a bad quality because I hesitate to get involved in activities and the kids don't play sports, because I don't want to be on the go all the time. I want to savor the experiences of each day. I'm sure some can be incredibly busy and still find quiet moments to enjoy. I am not one of those people.

    When I run I want to give it 100% physically and mentally. I don't want to look at the time and say, "ok, I have 35 min. then I have to stop so I can have time to get to the next thing", and then be so distracted by the other activities that I don't enjoy the time spent running. When I was running last fall, there was a beautiful red leaf that had fallen perfectly to the side of the running trail. It looked like it was on display for anyone who was observant enough to notice. It was there for a couple weeks untouched and unmoved. I wondered if God put it there just for me to appreciate every time I ran past it and point me to Him once again. Slow down,enjoy life, be more observant. Last week when I was running I saw one of my friends sitting outside enjoying some coffee and a good book. When we get too busy for those moments we are missing out on something really important. It's good to accomplish things but there is more to life than accomplishment; there's life. There must be balance.

    While working on this blog I was offered a really great job opportunity. Five years from now I would have considered it, but now is just not the right time. I was taken aback that they even thought of me for the position. It would have been challenging and exciting, but I just don't want the hours and responsibility right now. I think I have a good balance between work and and play,being gone and being home. I'm really happy with the way things are in my life right now, why mess with that?

"I don't believe that good work is ever done in a hurry." C.S. Lewis