(As promised I added some highlights of my three days with my mother. The two photos are of elk that we saw while driving through the nature reserve. They really were that close. The last (blush, blush) is of a picture I painted. Mom gave me a lesson on “texturing” and this is supposed to be my idea of waves on a shoreline. I won’t be making an cold hard cash on Ebay for my artwork anytime soon, but my time with my mother was priceless!)
The thread of conversation this past week seems to have a common theme. Slowing down. Enjoying the moment. Living life to its fullest.
I do enjoy the moment. I love my family and spend tons of time with them. But there’s one area that I’m working on, and that is putting things aside to enjoy TIME with friends and extended family. Can I share a secret with you?
Sometimes I’m not very good at it.
I have three great friends that are persistent. They know that I get in the deadline mode. I’m in one right now. Taxes need to be finished. I have a pile of papers sitting on my desk.
I’m working on a proposal to send to my agent.
I’m working with a publicist to make up for the last two years that I freelanced while Richard went to school. I’m setting up the 2009 speaking schedule.
I’m working on an 8-week small group for my home church for writers and speakers.
I could share more of my list with you, but here’s the thing. There’s a lot of “I’s” in that list.
RaNaile or Vera or Tammy try to help me include others. They know me well, and one of them will call when I retreat into the deadline cave.
“Suz, come and play.”
Sometimes I do. But most of the time I don’t. I keep knocking one more to-do off the list. It’s my job. My ministry. And honestly, I love what I do. But I’m trying to work on balance. I promise. One month ago I let my extended family know that I wanted to play more, and they came out of the crooks and crannies of my life, letting me know if I was really serious that they wanted to play too. : )
My brother and his family came to stay for a weekend two weeks ago. I listened to Jason play guitar. The guy is insanely good. He’s only 12.
Then my niece from Colorado called. “Aunt Suzie, I’m flying in tomorrow. I need to spend time just with you.” She arrived the next day and 20-year-old Kimberly and I spent a week hiking, bowling, walking, shopping, and Starbucking.
She left and my brand new DIL spent two nights with me since Ryan was at a conference. She is task-oriented too, so we read together. : ) She studied finance. I read teen novels (since I’m working on one).
Then mom called. “What about this weekend? Want to paint?”
Mom loves art and photography. Her mother was a painter, starting in her 50’s. I had confessed to mom that I have wanted to start, something inside of me longing to swish color on paper.
She arrived yesterday with bags of paint brushes, canvas’, and paint. I had to put aside a couple of hours to work on taxes. I need to devote at least that much time today to taxes and my proposal. The to-do list hasn’t went away. But last night we painted. She showed me how to texture paint and how to use acrylics and watercolor.
I made Swiss chicken, veggies, and a delicious banana cream pie. Richard was at work so we watched Survivor, painted, and ate!
I have to admit the list of things are pulling at me, but so is the joy in my mom’s eyes at having “her Suzie” all to herself. I really need to spend more time with my mom, not just for her, but because I enjoy it.
So, today we plan to walk. We will explore the little shops in downtown Tahlequah, and according to mom, we are painting rocks. I’ll show you my “artwork” later today and maybe some pics of me and mom.
Thanks for listening, BBR’s.
Suz
12 Comments
Suze!!!
When did you have time to make the Banana Cream pie??? And why wasn’t I invited to partake??? I love that stuff SO MUCH!!!
I with you on the to-do list. I got my corporate taxes done a month ago and my hubby is responsible for our personal taxes. Realizing the “day” is right around the corner, I feel that urge–that nasty urge–to do them for him.
I won’t, but I feel it…
Along with the MASS of MESS sitting on my desk is:
1. A child who needs help understanding fractions. (I will do that next)
2. More laundry to wash, dry, and fold or put away.
3. A house to spot clean.
4. Some receipe books to go thru for my recipe book contract fulfillment.
5. Two galleys demanding attention.
6. My own journaling
7. A speaking engagement to get ready for…
…but most importantly (and I think this is what you were getting at) my best friend is having breast reconstruction after surgery today. I elected NOT to go to the hospital but rather to be there tonight when she will REALLY need me.
Geez.
I just looked to my right. There’s a stack of bills screaming “Pay me! Pay me!”
Geez.
Eva,
I have to be honest. Even as I prepare to go out the door, I feel the pull. But it will be there when I return. I have to know myself. I won’t let it get away. I WILL take care of it.
You’re writing a teen novel? Cool! Have you read Twilight, by Stephanie Meyers? It’s all the rage with teens now and my daughter and I have both read it, the whole series to date. There are some elements which disturb me, but overall it’s clean. Extremely fascinating and might be just ONE MORE THING TO ADD TO YOUR LIST. Sorry. I realized it was one more thing as I was typing.
I don’t know what to say, except, “Guilty, guilty, guilty!” Not always, to be truthful, but far too often.
As a self-confessed OCD sufferer, you may well imagine the stress I put myself under on a daily basis. It’s not as bad as “Monk” though. I try to manage it. Most days I do okay.
I know better though, I write about balance, taking time out, simple pleasures, solitude at my blog. But I don’t write from a position of power or perfection, but from the position of a woman in the process of learning, trying and sometimes succeeding by the grace of God, to live a simpler, more balanced and authentic life,
Suz, I purchased a box-full of tools and supplies to begin painting. My progress has been minimal, at best.
Even when I think of how much fun it will be to spend a few hours with my dearest friend, (who also enjoys painting), I brush it aside to write. But you know something, my efforts go nowhere, lots of times. I fiddle and flounder and come away less productive than I could be. At those times, I sense that my attempts of doing it all and doing it perfectly fails because I don’t listen to the gentle nudging to step back and relax.
So here’s what. I’m going, right now to call my friend Meena to come over for tea and an art session this afternoon.
Bye ladies, Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend.
Cheryl, When I speak I often say, “if somethng is revealed we have two choices: we can feel guilty or we can anticipate how we can and will grow in this area”.
So far I have painted three paintings. I don’t think they’ll ever fetch anything on Ebay. : ) One is a Picasso, another is what my mom called confetti art, and the last is an ocean scene. Today we paint rocks!
Mom and I have talked, and that is the true artwork created this past two days. I’ve enjoyed my time with her. I can clearly see how much this small gift of time means to her. I love that.
Suzie,
I left the house yesterday at noon to give a friend a ride to the dentist. That’s a whole funny story in itself, but I digress…at 10:30 p.m. I returned home. We had a wonderful day of poking in thrift stores, working, talking business over dinner, and then found a place with comfy overstuff chairs to just sit and talk about life. Such fun, so needed and I cherish this time with a good friend.
Yet, today…I’m staring at deadlines for writing, projects for other clients, and cleaning litter boxes (MUST be done today).
The tirany of the urgent is always looming overhead, yet, the urgency of time with friends and family quickly slips through our fingers.
In five weeks, I have some scheduled downtime with a friend, between then and now, it’s work, work, work, and grab a minute here and there to enjoy the beautiful weather on my patio with a cat at my feet
Oh sweet Suzie! How I can relate! Bless you for always making us take time to THINK about the important stuff. The TIME issue is always going to be an issue, no matter how hard we try to make better choices. I’m adopting the AA credo of “One Day at a Time” for all things related to LIFE. Choose this day whom you will serve - “this day.” Not next week or next month or next year. But, THIS DAY. The same goes for life, liberty, and the pursuit of good coffee…we need to TAKE THIS DAY and balance it with love, laughter, lounging, and LIFE. Yes, I suppose the bills do need to be paid, and writing deadlines do have a way of sneaking up on us. But when all is said and done all the “stuff of life” isn’t worth a hill of beans if we’re unable to enjoy the peace, joy and love that makes up life. Thank you for sharing your insight with us, you are a blessed boomer babe! Send photos of your painting!
I struggle with the same thing . . . making time for those people who are important to me. Since my dad’s heart surgery a few weeks ago, amazingly I’ve been able to make time to get down to my parents more regularly (they live an hour away). Now tell me why I couldn’t have done that more when my dad was fine. I mean, I saw them probably 2-3 times a month but way more now. I guess we just do what’s really important to us. Suzie - this post just reminds me how much I need to spend time with my mom right now. Funny thing - both she and i love to paint! Anyways - great post, thanks for sharing.
Honest to Pete, Suzie, I’m just going to show up at the library someday with my laptop and shoot you an email. Wouldn’t that be fun! And you’d have some deadline to meet and I’d have to go home.
But I’d go hiking first!
Tonight we made a quick trip (I say quick, I mean 2 hours) to the conservatory, a nature and wildlife reserve about 15 minutes from my home. We took pictures of elk and deer. Normally I would have hiked, but mom has asthma and it was messing with her a bit today, but we drove through the reserve and took photos and chatted. Today we painted rocks and planted a flowering bush (sorry, Kerri). It was 65 degrees and beautiful.
I’ve taken all the time that I can. I truly do have to tackle taxes and I have a radio interview Mon. a.m. at 5:08 a.m. (ayee!) and a proposal due right now. But it has been nice. It really has. : )
Flea, I hope that one day we can have BBR get togethers in different regions. Allison is only 4 hours a way. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Suz
That would be very cool. And I wouldn’t really do that to you, Suzie. Glad you got away and could relax.
Suzie,
I’m sure you know the feeling, someone tapping on your shoulder saying, you need to do this, tap, tap, tap….
That is what has been happening with me lately. I can’t tell you how many times in the past few weeks I have had devotionals concerning friendship, reconnecting with friends, family, etc. I have also received (from a book club) excerpts from books with topics concerning, taking risks, making a difference, gratitude, etc.
I have been thinking about a friend I have lost touch with and can’t get her off my mind. So, I looked up her address and plan to get a letter off to her. During spring break here last week, I convinced my boss at the karate school I manage to close up shop for a few days as during the break, the place was a ghost town with kids out of town. He was in dire need of time off and I was in serious need of some time to really reconnect with my family. So, we went camping, it was wonderful, no phones, no computers, tv, etc……until the storms came and completely flooded our campsite….but hey, it was an adventure! My kids are teenagers, they will be on their own soon. I want to enjoy them some more before they leave the nest.
Suzie, I hope you, Dotsie, Connie, Eva, Allison, & Keri all enjoy your spring break.