Pause

The to-do list grows every day.

You never get it all done, especially when you keep adding more items as soon as you complete and cross one off. 

Yesterday I had a long list of things to finish. Buy ferns for the side porch. Sew a button on my husband’s shirt. Visit my mother. Answer 20 emails. Cash a check. Buy my grandbaby, River, a birthday gift. Pick up dry cleaning.

Life handed me other assignments before I even got to my list. So with three hours left to complete the above, I stopped. I paused and asked myself, which of these things can wait? Which of these things absolutely has to happen today?

Hitting the pause button on life gives you space to breathe.

The pauses between the notes make the music of life flow.

If music had no pauses between the chords and notes, it would all be noise. Music sounds much better than noise.

The pauses make the notes sound better. They set the stage and clear it. They open the ear, the heart, the soul, to receive it. 

So I stopped the car, sat still and breathed. The ferns, the button, the emails, the check, even my mom, could wait. Little River had a birthday to celebrate. You only turn 1 once.

So on the way to Target, I picked up the dry cleaning and a chocolate cone at Ben & Jerry’s for me. 

I took my time shopping for River and got her a pile of bath toys and a hooded towel set so she’ll look like a pink and green owl when she steps out of the tub. And I just had to buy the Hello Kitty hooded towel for Ainsley and the Ninja Turtle towel for Asher. 

The best part of the day was being fully present to enjoy River’s big day, to enjoy the music that she is in my life.