Icing on the Cake

I am on my own for the entire day, and that's quite okay.  

Ken has left early to lead a paint-crew at the church, finishing off a big part of the kitchen reno on this cool and rainy holiday Monday.  I stayed home, out of respect for the 'rest' part of the advice of my doctor regarding my recent introduction to the world of the kind of GI issues that heal quickly if you do as you're told, and get nasty if you don't.  Since I'm on a positive path so far, I thought I'd be smart and actually take the day off and be quiet.

And then, just now, sitting quietly in the house as I am, I realize this is a rare thing these days. to be completely alone for a whole day.  And then I realize how much I'm looking forward to it!  It's been a really great weekend so far.  This is just icing on the cake!

Both Ken and I work from home now; have been since COVID.  We get along fine most of the time, and find we can give each other enough work space during any given week, even in our 'smaller' space. Even if one of us is out of the house, there's lots that happens for me in the course of my work that has me meeting up with people, in groups or individually.  It's really quite rare for me to have this many hours in a row on my own.   

So I'm curious to see how this day will unfold.  Open to whatever this quiet space might bring me. 

And.

I realize I am writing from a very different space than some.  For some, being alone all day is the norm, and a bit of company would bring the needed refreshment.  For others, especially families with younger children, or caregivers in other demanding circumstances, the idea of even an hour alone seems desperately out of reach.  So I want to acknowledge you.  I've been there.  Different seasons of life, different responsibilities, different life choices, beget different realities.  Life is not, it seems, evenly spread.

Sometimes I wish I had a way of smoothing out the 'too much' times into the 'not enough' times; like a giant spatula leveling icing on a cake.  Spread things around a bit.  Make each bite of life more consistent.  It wouldn't make the bitter times any sweeter, but it might make it easier to swallow.

But since life isn't like that, and since I trust there are good reasons, I wonder if the thing is to just embrace what's before us, resist the urge to control the things out of our control, do our best with any given day, and rest in the spaces we are given.

I'm hoping to get a walk in later, since moderate exercise is good for what ails me.  But I'll wait until the sun comes out, which seems more likely this afternoon.

Happy Holiday Monday friends.