I talked with my mom yesterday.
“Glenn, can I bring over anything, or do anything for you?”
We have this conversation on a daily basis. It’s important to call your mom.
“No mom, we’re good for today,” I said.
“I know how busy you all are, can I make spaghetti or drop off the kids anywhere?”
“No mom, we’re really good for today, but thank you.”
The topic of being busy is one that I have to laugh at sometimes.
What does it mean to be busy?
Whenever you talk to someone, they always respond with how busy they are.
"How’s it going, Gary?”
"Whew, just busy. Not enough hours in the day.”
“Oh yeah, what do you have going on?”
And this is where the conversation gets super judgy, because we all have different interpretations of what busy means.
For one, they had to go to Giant Eagle and they were out of bacon..OMG..Hopefully they can successfully navigate to another store so they aren’t left with the dreaded LT instead of a BLT. Cue the anxiety.
For another, they worked a 14 hour day and didn’t see their kids or spouse.
Someone woke up today and it became an actual job on how they would fill the day so they didn’t cry about who or what was taken away from them.
And yet another...they are dealing with a sick family member and have no help..and the bills are piling up and so is the housework. They have no time to think or feel anything.
Everyone is seemingly BUSY, yet we all have different thresholds, and when in a group setting, being idle is looked down upon, so we make up stuff.
“I’m just busy, there’s a lot going on.”
When you truly look at your life, are you BUSY, or are you just active?
Filling the day with chores is something we all do from time to time, but filling the day with things that bring you joy is another thing entirely.
If I was digging ditches from sun up to sun down, some would say I was BUSY.
If I was going to see my kids play sporting events all day, and driving from tournament to tournament, am I busy or am I..
Really effing lucky?
How cool that some of the stuff that makes me busy is stuff that makes my life complete.
How you frame your day is how you frame your attitude.
We all know that we’re supposed to say “I get to” instead of “I have to” when approaching life…yet how many of us truly adopt that mantra?
I am guilty sometimes.
I wanna be less busy. I wanna take time to do what I wanna do with my family, not have to do sometimes. I don’t wanna have a schedule everyday. I wanna go to church every week and have a nice breakfast and be lazy. I wanna watch the Cavs, play board games, eat pizza, throw the ball, and talk. I wanna see friends where the actually getting together part doesn't stay in my iMessages.
But like most Clevelander’s, we enjoy the spring and summer because we don’t have it all the time.
That’s why people in Florida don’t appreciate their weather situation except when bragging to those up north during February and March.
And so this is my wish for you.
Don’t pray away being active, but realize your definition of busy may be different than someone else’s.
It’s not a competition. No one gets the Most Busy Award.
I’m pretty sure those that are idle wanna do more, so there is probably a mutual admiration.
Appreciate your life.
If you have the time, bless people with what you can offer them.
If you don’t have the time, appreciate those that do. Your time will come
All my best as you figure out life and the relationships in it.
And never skip the bacon.
XOXO Glenn