Our plates are full at the moment. Overflowing, in fact. Every morning I get up, look at my task manager, and determine with optimism what I hopefully can tackle and cross off for the day.
At the moment, I feel like we’re barely keeping up. And so last week I turned down the opportunity to head a few hours east to camp with some of our closest friends. Seven of us, from opposite corners of the country, who usually cross paths about once a year but never know for sure when we’ll be together again. It pained me to say no. But the thought of getting further behind pained me just the same.
However, Mark is always reminding me that there is no end to the to-do list. No magical day when everything is crossed off and I can finally go about doing the things I want to do but am always putting off. The control freak in me cringes anytime he reminds me that there is no end. I don’t want to believe it, and yet deep down I know he’s right.
And so ultimately we decided, “f*ck it, let’s go.” I think a certain amount of f*ck it is required in the recipe for a life well-lived. It’s kind of like salt in an actual recipe; too much and you might ruin it beyond repair, none or not enough, and the flavor can’t be rightfully enjoyed.
I don’t want to be a slave to life’s endless demands. Nor do I want to be reckless. What I’ve learned the last few years, from the gift of forming some incredible friendships, is that meaningful relationships with others are priceless and not to be taken for granted. Everything in life, the good times and the bad, are better when having others to share them with.
I won’t lie, sometimes it stresses me out trying to decide when to let go and when to buckle down and get to work. But it can be freeing to accept that there is no end, to give yourself permission to put the to-do list aside and take a moment to sit back and enjoy life as it is. So that’s what we did for two glorious days. And those two days were so full of love and laughter that I can’t believe it’s an opportunity we almost passed by.
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