Wisely Spent

Spring Break is quickly winding up, and I have done none of the projects I planned on accomplishing during this lull before the last two crazy months of school.

My taxes aren't done.

My house isn't clean.  (But who am I kidding with this one?  My house is never all clean all at the same time.)

My closets aren't emptied of all the things I can't wear anymore, nor are the multiple bags of things I've already culled delivered to Goodwill.

My paperwork that I need to have done before I go back to work on Monday isn't even started yet.

I wasn't always this way.  There was a time when I was the first to get things done that needed to be done (well, except for the housework, if I'm honest about it).  It was that first-child overachiever syndrome: get it done first and get it done right.  I was most obsessive about being on time wherever I went---in fact, I was driven to be at least five minutes early for anything.  When there was something to be completed, I was certainly not able to take a nap....such as the three-hour nap I took this afternoon. 

But as I've written before, life changes us.  My concept of time and priorities changed when I lost my best friend.  Suddenly achievement didn't seem all that important anymore.  Time was relative.  My understanding of relationships was broken open, revealing that people had been, would always be, more important than blind objectives.  Work would always be there; people wouldn't.

So where did my time go this week?

I fed and held my newly-minted nephew Ty, formerly known as Elvis, marveling at the perfect miniature he is of his sister Allie, touching his long fingers and tracing his little ears.

I bathed and read to Allie, shared yogurt with her, tickled her, tried to coerce her into using the big-girl potty, and laughed at her drama. 

I spent a little time with my Texas niece Emeri, whose spring break is always the week before ours, chatting about her big STAR tests coming up---the Texas version of high-stakes testing, even for elementary students like her.

I attended my childhood church with my family.

I visited four of my doctors to avoid missing days at school.

I had a couple of delicious couch naps, snoozing away to the television, but stayed awake to watch and delete some of my DVR programs that stack up so fast.

I spent an afternoon and evening with dear friends who are, like me, much consumed with living life as fully as possible, but wanting to share every minute.

I had lunch with, or fixed lunch for, my wonderful guy every day this work week.  He works second shift six to seven days a week; it was a luxury to spend that much time with him.

I made quiche and mini meatloaves to freeze for the frantic end-of-school weeks.

I went to water aerobics.....once.  (Insert rueful grin here.)

I swept a winter's worth of dirt and salt out of my garage. 

I tried to do things I just WANTED to do, instead of things that had to be done.

It was a most successful spring break, I realize now---not time well spent, necessarily, but time wisely spent.  You understand the difference, dear reader.  I hope I'm always wise enough to spend my time on the people and things that matter; taxes and housekeeping will never make that list.