31 Days of Reclaiming Life: Day 22

I didn't put my fall decorations out on display this year.  

Halloween 2014

There simply wasn't any time nor energy in the reserves to do so in September when I'm normally ready to pull them out. 

I take that back--I put out exactly one owl "Welcome" sign and there is a glass pumpkin candy dish with a lid (without candy inside).  But no bat tree, no ceramic pumpkins, no special kitchen towels.  No orange candle holders.  None of the usually pre-Christmas fun to be seen in our house. 

We watched the Charlie Brown special with my kids the night before last and I was a little bit disappointed that it had already snuck up on me.  I'm not 100% ready and the kids were busy planning costumes (and can we talk about how it's insanely expensive to get costumes--what happened to the paper/plastic masks with small nose holes held with elastic strings???), and now I feel like I have a week to cram it all in before we start the 2015 Avery Holiday Season of Joy. 

I don't like feeling behind, but life happens when we're busy dealing with it.  I've spent a lot of my time operating on the autopilot idea that it's fun to list out all of the things you've got to do to impress/pull pity from others when they hear about your long list of things to do.  It's like we are all competing for the "Who is the most stressed out?" award.   

However, I've noticed that when people start doing that in front of me, I begin mentally picking apart their list and determining what they could do without in order to regain some time.  And I've noticed that no one has given me a certificate that indicates that I'm the most deserving of the Stressed Out Award.  

Justifying your to-do list with your stress level does not equal importance.  

It just indicates crazy. 

Perhaps it's time to put away my little I'm So Busy! idol and start focusing on the things that really matter instead.  Maybe I need to look at things with fresh eyes and remember that I'm in a season of busy because I have so many wonderful things happening in my life.  

This life season is going to be over before I know it, so I can enjoy it or I can feel sorry for myself because it's such big and loud and demanding season.  

Quiver Tree Photography, 2014

I think I'd rather enjoy it.