How Letting Go Of Keeping Up Makes Time For What Matters Most

Do you wish there were more hours in the day, or having a hard time keeping up? Read this to help rediscover what matters most to you.

Raise your hand if you are behind on all of the things.

Anyone?

This is the season of bananas in our home.

Spring is springing and dinging and buzzing and binging, popping and hopping.

Add in a sprinkle of searching for a lost soccer ball here, a home project DIY bathroom remodel here, a random run a kid to the doctor for a sore ear here, dentist there, sign this permission slip there, order the school pictures here, a choral concert there…and all of the extra have to get done things, squished into the crevices of the day…

Well?

It’s easy for me to start dropping and flopping more than I am holding on and handling all of the things.

The truth is?

I can’t keep up.

The other truth is?

I am O.K. with this little fact that I can’t keep up.

Probably mostly due in part to this fresh way I am handling stress and overwhelm and overthinking lately that I wrote about last week, HERE in this post.

I am good with where I am at.

I don’t want to keep up.

I want to show up.

Show up for the people and the things that need me most in the moments we are in.

So yesterday?

That meant setting aside my regularly scheduled program of Monday blog writing and creating content, to instead?

Spending some hours helping my Dad prepare for a special celebration of life that my sweet Dad is hosting this week for his girlfriend.

You might remember in this post, where I asked you to pray for my Dad?

Sadly, our family suffered a sudden loss in the days just before Easter, when we lost my Dad’s longtime girlfriend to a heart attack.

This was the first time our girls have had to experience losing someone that was within our little “just the ten of us” family.

Losing anyone, to anything, at anytime is so hard.

But sudden losses?

The shock can be quite the feat to absorb.

Especially for little minds.

The ripple effects keep coming.

As I reflect on the decade of memories our family has soaked in with my Dad’s best friend, like our annual Christmas FB live dance party…

Holiday dinners, preschool graduations and dance recitals…

It’s hard to believe…our family group, is now missing one.

My Dad’s girlfriend has been celebrating milestones for a long time with us, big and small.

Why am I sharing all of this personal reflection?

Because, I think I might be in good company…running around, doing the best I can to “keep up” and wishing I had more time…more hours in the day.

Because who doesn’t want more time?

But?

I am learning afresh…that at the end of the day?

We make time for what…and who we care about.

If there is something that we aren’t getting around to…it comes down to the fact that we have consciously or subconsciously deemed it to be, not as important as the other pieces of the puzzle that we have chosen to prioritize at the top of the list.

This choosing, this reflection of the manna of the day, that I wrote about last Saturday…it’s helping me to relearn – that even when the list of all the things I need to get done…keeps growing….

It really is all about prioritizing and deciding…

what matters most.

And usually?

It really all does get done (mostly)…eventually.

And if it means, something gets pushed to the back burner, because you to show up for someone on that list of WHO’s, that matters to you?

Our gift of time for that someone is the most rich resource we have to offer…and is usually deeply appreciated.

The fact is,

We are never going to be “all caught up.“

There is always going to be a “to do” list.

Realizing I will die with an unfinished “to do” list was one of the best gifts I gave to myself years ago.

I will never make it to the end of the list…and that is O.K.

This acceptance made me realize, I can slow down, take myself out of the race and live a more peaceful paced life.

Because…as I am learning again afresh…this is all so very, very temporary.

The ache of losing someone is real.

For me?

The ache of losing someone who loved my someone’s is real.

When we lose someone, even if we weren’t crazy close with them…

BUT

That someone loved your people?

You miss them.

You miss the way they loved your people well.

You miss their smile and the smiles they put on your people’s faces.

So friend?

This is my reminder and your reminder if you need it:

Let’s put down the “to do” list.

Let’s be ok with not keeping up.

Let’s just keep showing up for the people who matter and trust that what needs to get done…will get done. (at least the important stuff will.)

Take the time to –

Stand at the front door and wave goodbye to your loved one as they drive away.

Make the phone call to your far away friend.

Schedule the coffee date.

Join the small group.

Visit the family member in assisted living.

Put down your phone, leave it in the other room and look into the eyes of the people under your roof.

And?

On a random afternoon…just pop by for a visit.

Simply because….YOU CAN.

Our time is the greatest gift and most valuable resource we have…

Let’s not waste it keeping up.

Living on a prayer,

Heather

This post is dedicated to Linda Boyd and the beautiful life she lived. Thank you for loving my people well.