In August, I kept telling myself to make it through until school started, and things would be simpler.
When school started, and logistics got harder, I told myself to just make it through the two big September work projects, and things would get easier.
When the first week of October brought big challenges at work, I told myself to make it through one big project.
Before that project ended, there were three new projects.
And so this week, I told myself to make it to Friday. To put my head down and push hard, because this weekend I’m going away with a friend. Without kids. With big projects looming, but time carved out for no work. The beach. A massage. A nice dinner.
When the kids were little, and there were no breaks after the milestones, I longed for the project-based rhythms of work. When those projects came back, both freelance and staff, I longed for a time with downtime between projects.
I’m going to have to stop waiting for breaks, and start making them myself.
And I will. Starting about four hours ago.
get me outta here!
NaptimeWriting 
Lovely post.
I’m right with you. Sometimes it seems we’re always rushing to the next step, looking forward in a way that impedes our ability to enjoy the moment. Finding a balance between enjoying what we have and working towards what we want is not easy – but we’re amongst the world’s most fortunate to have the challenge. Not everyone has the opportunity to work towards something meaningful … or even much opportunity to enjoy the moment.
I’m curious about the creature in the photo. Did you take this image yourself? Did he get free?
Lesley http://workinglook.com
That darling banana slug entertained me and the boys for about an hour in the mountains near Santa Cruz on a camping trip. She was never trapped. She lounged about in the camping water spigot, then slimed her way up the water spout. And she inexplicably crawled through, rather than over the clamp you see. She continued on her merry way to the top of the post, then back down. The process of wandering four feet total took her about an hour. And my youngest sat there the whole time and watched.
I’ll sit with Butter all day any time to watch a banana slug slime away. I watch squirrels and birds with my dog on the patio. Hawks are migrating now, the skies are filled with redtails and vultures. Better than paint drying. Brain yoga.
Brain yoga, eh? I wonder if thinking of it that way will make me less itchy at the sitting still…