Enjoy Today

I've been thinking for weeks that I need to make a new post detailing our Christmas fun and show you some new pictures of the girls.... but I'm wrestling with the same inner battle that I've been dealing with since childhood: "So many things to be done, and not enough time to do them all!" and along with that "How dare you take time to do the FUN things until you have all the NECESSARY things done?!" So I haven't blogged (or played with pictures or exercised or got down and played with Avery) for a while. I've been trying to get the "necessary" stuff done and out of the way so that I can enjoy all those things "guilt free". (Is there really such a thing as Guilt Free in the life of woman? YES!!! and I'm just starting to embrace it....)

And what are these "necessary" things that I think I should be doing? My list: 1) Finish compiling and filing 2008 bills and paperwork data 2) Gather and tally paperwork for filing Income Tax Report, which encompasses 3) Tally and organize my Mary Kay home business paperwork 4) Sort through and organize 2008 Memorabilia (sp?) and store it away for future scrapbooking 5) Download 2008 photos and video clips onto storage media so they are safe should my computer ever crash... And true to my nature, once I have crossed off all these items, I'll have another list waiting for me to tackle.

So it gets me thinking and remembering things that I've tried to learn recently. What makes these things so necessary? And is it really fair to myself and my family to put everything else on hold until they are done? I tell myself they are necessary because they are important to me and they are all things I want to accomplish (sooner the better), but they certainly aren't worth depriving myself of things that I truly enjoy, or even things that are essential, such as time spent with family. They are only as necessary (or not necessary) as I make them. I have the choice.

So this week I've been kind of "lazy" - I've napped, I'm reading a book, I've played with Avery, I made bread in the breadmachine, I've sat and watched TV, I've done the laundry, I tidied the house, I've spent a lot of time holding and talking to London, and now I'm blogging! I haven't spent much time at all on the big projects I have on my list, and the best part is: I DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT!! I feel like I am accomplishing things, and I'm happy. When I have the time, I'll get to those things and eventually they'll get done. I know that much about myself - they WILL get done. But they don't all need to be done by tomorrow, or the end of the week, or the end of the month. And I'm starting to be ok with that.

I have my husband to thank the most for my recent change of priorities - he's tried for a long time to get it through my head: Live to enjoy today because there might not be a tomorrow. And he knows I'm sorry for trying to convince him we should always "work today and play tomorrow". We both know that I can always find work to do so that there's no time left for playing.

So with all that off my chest, I hope to have new pictures and details of our Christmas up soon!