Lessons come mostly when we don’t expect them and are not trying to learn. This past weekend I learned several lessons. I have mentioned over and over, ad nauseum, the value of stopping, breathing, and taking time. The rewards are of the highest value.
As has become fairly ovbious over the span of these entries, I am pretty contemplative. I remembered an experience which made a huge impression almost exactly 29 years ago. After living in Belgium for 3.5 years, we returned to life in America. We returned to the same community from which we left, the same house, the same friends, etc. But, wait! It was so different, or at least, my perspective was different. It seemed as if everyone had gotten so busy. No one had time for friends to spend time together for dinner and socializing. In retrospect, I am realizing it was not so much that the American society had gotten more busy, but more, it was that I had spent 3.5 years unlearning how to be so busy.
Over the next ten years I managed to adjust and, I suppose, out of a need to “fit in”, I became very busy too.That was, until I realized how unhappy I had become. I decided to make the effort to undo the busy habit, not easy as much as the habit to be busy keeps sneaking up on us. Saying no and stopping to breathe and readjust is worth gold.
One ah-ha moment this weekend was realizing that yet again, over the past few years I had slipped back into that busy-habit, much like those years immediately upon returning from Belgium. Predictably, unrest has ensued. If we are lucky or if we stop/breathe long enough, the universe speaks and we actually hear.
Balance, Balance, balance, and realization… Whoa! I like to be busy! Oops! Got’cha!
Another realiztion this weekend was an awakening to what I really like to do. Adventure! Be creative! So much time has passed since using my trusty sewing machine I was slightly nervous that I would do something stupid and jam it up again! I had not touched it in 2-3 years, not since it was last repaired. Grandson, Jason, needed a costume for his school play and requested I help him. Who could say no to that? I went to the fabric store and found some extra materials to adorn the plain tan costume.
In Process of Creating
Armed with those materials and my trusty old sewing machine we began our collaboration. Each step was an adventure into the unknown creative bag of tricks. Jason and I were busy for a very full 5 hours. Each step of the process brought on another idea to make it better. Total fun!
Realization #1: I have always enjoyed creating my own path, whether sewing, knitting, cooking, or in life.
In the end, together we created a costume that pleased us both. Far from perfect, but still just right! 
Realization #2: Things don’t have to be perfect to be just right!
As I contemplate what I learned this weekend, there was really nothing new, but with the gift of time and the willingess to stop and listen, a few steps were made back into that world of adventure and creativity that bring me alive. My authentic voice-self??? Again, what is important became all the more clear. Putting the brakes on busy-ness in an all too busy world is good hard work.