Wednesday Gratitude #28: Time at Heart and Home

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TIME for Wednesday Gratitude

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“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"

-William A. Ward

I have a funny relationship with time, and

I've been watching the clock a lot lately.

I'm very grateful for the abundance of time I have to take care of things.

But, with hours stretching out in front of me every day,

 it seems I take more and more time getting started on the things that are "important".

It makes me feel guilty,

and then, it feels like I'm playing catch-up with the clock.

I imagine time takes on a completely different meaning

when you've been faced with life-altering challenges,

like illness or loss, or some sort of natural disaster.

I imagine you would never take time for granted

having beaten cancer,

or survived a flood or hurricane that took everything away from you.

That time would have stood still while you were in the midst of the storm,

and flown by much too quickly while you were battling a disease.

Counting the days knowing you could never get them back.

I'm grateful I've never really had to experience anything like that,

and that I don't know what time feels like in those circumstances.

I'm truly grateful.

Although I've lent my support for most beloved ones who've been there, done that.

And those times were precious to me, though slow, and hard, and long.

I wouldn't trade those days for any others.

Because they showed me what I was made of,

and showed me what it takes to really fight the big fight,

and that time keeps rolling along, day after day. 

Spending days like that helped me realize how precious time is,

and how much I regret wasting it.

AND, being late, and making others wait, is a form of wasting time,

in my opinion.

I often find myself scrambling around at the last minute,

taking care of that "one last thing" to do before I head out the door

Do you do that too?

Why do I think that right before I need to leave

is the perfect time to add the last load of laundry to the wash?

Why do I always see the little out-of-place-items that need putting back in their places,

right when I'm running out the door?

Or notice some inane task that could have been done any time,

and feel the need to complete it just before I head out?

I do that more often than I'd like to admit.

And then, I'm usually just a bit late getting to where I was heading.

Sorry about that.

Is it just me, or is this some sort of "last-minute mania" that only affects people who have a guilty conscience about how they spend their time?

I don't know.

Here's the guilt:

There are so many things I should be doing with my time.

I have a list a mile long.

I just haven't been all that inspired to get started on those things.

I've been thinking, maybe I need a new list!

My new list could contain only things that I really love to do.

What would be on your list,

if you had all the time in the world?

What are the things you would want to do, if there were no restrictions?

I would really like to know!

I think that's the trick to making peace with how we spend our time.

Less guilt, more accomplishments.

Spend it in the pursuit of happiness.

Spend it being happy.

And then, PAY ATTENTION.

Because:

I've heard time flies when you're having fun.

Until next time,

xo

Heidi

                        

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