A Rhythm to the Days

There is a rhythm to the days now. Now that I am no longer addicted to busyness.

There is peace and pleasure.   Pleasure in that first cup of morning coffee, as I wait for the day to unfold.

I don't need a to-do list to check off items.  The few things I want to do are in my head, and can be arranged or rearranged at will,  regarded or disregarded.  Done now or postponed.

There are, of course, things scheduled on the calendar.  But I protect the space there, so that each square does not fill up and overflow with too many commitments.   My commitment is to life's simple pleasures.

On the calendar the best thing there is lunch with a friend or family member.   This is something that I especially wanted to cultivate in my later years.   While one is raising a complicated family, and trying to meet the demands of a career, or in my case, 24/7 ministry,  there is not enough time to cultivate friendships and nurture relationships.  Now there is time aplenty.

 There are occasional meetings and responsibilities, but I try to keep those to a minimum.  The thing that brings the most joy is being creative.  Mostly that has to do with words.  The words are likely to be lyrics for a song to come.  Or a poem to submit to a poetry competition.  Or an occasional sermon.

I think the reason I stopped writing this blog is that it stopped being a joy and began to feel like a duty, an obligation.  And so, I felt, it had run its course.

I like projects, especially ones that have a beginning and an end point, rather than something open-ended, that constantly repeats, year after year, endlessly.   I have spent many happy hours planning trips, itineraries, doing arrangements, and making a travel  plan.

At the moment, I am working on  lessons for an Adult Sunday School class for the Fall.  That is a nice project.  I can pick it up or put it down at any time.  Fall is a long time off, so there is no rush.  It is a creative project, to some degree, as I am creating the lesson plans.

Food and cooking and doing the preparation, including grocery shopping, and looking at recipes probably brings the greatest joy.  That also is a creative, and daily endeavor.

There is a nice slow rhythm to the days now, not rushed, nor pressing in, nor urgency.
But calm and serenity.
Exactly where I want to be.
Exactly where I am.