I took a spontaneous day off work today (Thursday). I heard a weather report yesterday that made me long to be outdoors rather than at my desk and computer, and I seized the opportunity.
The list of things I intended to do today, on my day “off”, included:
- weigh in and post on this blog
- weed
- plant hollyhocks by the garage
- spread mulch
- put up a rose trellis so the climbing rose has something to climb
- laundry
- begin sorting out my craft room
- finish a bead project that currently resides on my dining room table (because I can’t wade through the craft room, see previous item).
What I actually accomplished is this:
- sat outside in the sun, with iced coffee and a writer’s magazine
- talked on the phone with my friend Sue, who is in the hospital enduring the grueling first days after knee replacement surgery
- ate lunch from a roadside grill at Nelson’s Meats with my friend Molly
- bought some great pens
- sat outside in the shade, at Coffeesmith’s, sipping iced tea and pretending to write but actually daydreaming and rereading journal entries from last October
- took iced coffees to my friend Sara’s house and held Ellie, the sweetest little baby Sara cares for
- worked out for 20 minutes
- daydreamed in a dark room while wrapped up like a human-sized burrito (a far-infrared body wrap, truly lovely)
Forget the arguments about baseball or football being the great American pastime. The truth is, Productivity seems to be both our work and leisure-time activity of choice. Our To-Do Lists runneth over. Occasionally, though, we have to stop do-do-do-ing and try just being.
Today was a day for being. For seeing the beauty of the trees, for smelling the freshness of spring in the air, for turning a face to the warm sun and feeling gratitude for the here and now. I know that my to-do list will be there tomorrow, waiting for tick-marks of completion. But today was an ephemeral treasure, good for only one brief, perfect moment. Was I productive today? Perhaps. Did I accomplish everything I needed to? Check.
Jen, sounds like a perfect day off to me. I’m glad you had a wonderful day!
Lovely reflection. I often get lost in old journal entries as well. And I love the word “ephemeral.” 🙂
~Em