Running Out of Time (If the Food Doesn't Kill You First)

By Amy Butler

So, I have been sick this week - food poisoning sick. I'll spare you the ugly details, but suffice it to say that I've been pretty worthless all week. The only reason I'm trying to be productive today is because we're running out of food and that means a grocery run!

Time is what this makes me dwell on. When sickness or emergencies happen, time lost is often what we mourn the most. With the fast pace many of us keep, feeling guilty about the amount time spent with those we love seems to be the norm. Monday I was so sick that my husband stayed home from work part of the day and the rest my mom stayed with me and watched after J. There were moments amid my delirium that I felt bad for J because I was not available to him and really hardly conscious of him. That, of course, made me think of working mothers who have to be away from their children several hours a day. Before I knew it, I was tied up in a "There's just not enough time!" cycle.

Here's a more (I think) realistic rendering of time and where it matters most. Time cycles and sometimes there is a lot and sometimes there is not. But you don't have to have a million hours to make a positive impact in someone's life. Think of your favorite uncle or some of the best memories with a parent or sibling. Did it take 12 hours to make? Probably not. Most great memories were made in moments, a few hours at best. A surprise lunch, a special midnight snack, a homemade gift or even 15 minutes on Skype! Life takes us places we never intended to go. Instead of fighting it, worrying over it and wallowing in it, enjoy the beauties of where you get to be!

Amy Butler is a wife and homemaker to Mr. Butler, a mama to one happy boy, a piano teacher to a dozen or so fabulous students and a writer of balance and moderation so that she'll have some every time mine hers runs out. You can read more of Amy's writing at her blog: http://www.writebalance.com/

Want to add to the conversation? Click here to learn how to become a contributor to the Productive Parenting blog.

Pin It