sprite writes
broodings from the burrow

February 14, 2011


37
posted by soe 11:14 pm

I think the secret of contentment must be in managing expectations. You see it often in self-help programs — for instance, in those abuse cessation programs that instruct you to live one day at a time and in yoga classes that remind you not to let your mind wander to tasks other than your breathing and your position.

Today was my birthday. I like birthdays in general and mine in particular, and I a big fuss. But I also recognize that not every year can be filled with fireworks and am perfectly content to settle for a little fuss and some out-of-the-ordinary activities. So for the last few days, I had been thinking up plans of how to fill the time before people had time to hang out with me in the evening. I had the day off and was going to start out early (for me) and pack the day full of exciting things like buying tulips and seeing lion cubs at the zoo and attending high tea or maybe a yoga class.

However, I’m not really an early (even for me) kind of girl and, when left to my own devices, find it really hard to get out of the Burrow before three in the afternoon. (My boss always finds it comforting to hear that it’s not just workdays when I have difficulty getting out the door in a timely fashion.)

And today was no different. I didn’t move quickly. Della wasn’t being overly cooperative about eating. I had put laundry on before going to bed that still needed to be hung up. I couldn’t find the jam I wanted and then when I picked a substitute, I couldn’t get the lid open. I had to address some envelopes I wanted to send out in today’s mail. So, I didn’t leave home until nearly three and when I walked out the door, I couldn’t decide which direction to go in, knowing there definitely was no longer enough time to fit everything in.

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