A brand new year

A new year always feels a bit like "starting over."
It's a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate. It's full of hope and possibilities.
Oh goodness - that's a bit overwhelming!

2009 is filling up.

There's this thing that happens when you are involved in activities, whether they are church, volunteering, or kid related. Events get scheduled, sometimes many months in advance. You are bombarded with pieces of paper and emails that contain important information and DATES YOU CANNOT FORGET! You realize that you can't live without a calendar.

Lucky me, I have a spouse that knows me all too well. I get my new calendar every year under the Christmas tree. And every year I'm amazed at how many blank little boxes the calendar contains. It's so new! So pretty! So unused!

Then you start filling in all those little boxes. First, you neatly use color-coordinated pens, but eventually you end up sloppily filling them in using the wand from an old mascara. The pieces of paper, the emails, and the IMPORTANT DATES are coming at you fast and furious. You make no promises without first consulting your calendar.

Once in a while you imagine losing your calendaring system and the thought sends you into a panic. You know that if you were smart, you would make a back-up calendar - but you don't have time to be smart. Instead you take a large Sharpie and write on the outside "Property of Chantelle Lang. Reward if found!" At least that's what I wrote. You should probably write your own name.

So today I got out the new calendar and filled in various monthly obligations - (bunko, birthdays, meetings, whatnot) While I was at it, I checked out airline prices for the annual Camp Grandma - YIKES, I think my blood sugar just plummeted! (Even prices from Honolulu are jaw dropping)

Anyway, when I came to December 2009 I felt as though I had just lived the entire year. My head hurt and I was pooped from celebrating one-too-many birthdays and anniversaries and from soothing my teen about his fears of flying yet again over the ocean.

So what clarity did my time spent planning out my entire year bring?
I need to bring life down just a tiny notch, maybe do a little less planning.
Learn to love the doing, learn to use the accumulation of time.
"When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we will find we can accomplish magnificent things"
Here's to a memorable and adventurous 2009!