My 91-year-old mother’s birthday was celebrated with my daughter and her 3 beautiful daughters and my sister Kim and myself guess when? The weekend after Christmas and New Year’s.
Did I mention this was in Ohio? Or that we had been in Denver for holidays and had a major need to regroup?
But, I did it anyway!
Recently, I wrote a post on the 3 R’s and one of the R’s was REPLACE (excerpt below or read the full article here).
REPLACE the busy with the meaningful. I have pruned a ton of busy stuff out of my life and yet, as most of you probably experience, there is always more pruning to do of our schedules that is not in keeping with what our true priorities are in our busy lives. My family and my friends are often behind my actual behavior of time with them. I say actually behavior because my good intentions are totally meaningless! It is my REPLACING even substantiated busy work with meaningful and quality and purposeful living that will enhance not only my life but the lives of those I love and care so much about.
But was I ever blessed by putting my schedule and my wants on that ole back burner and seizing the opportunity for some very precious, rare, and perhaps once in a lifetime opportunities to connect with my loved ones.
New Mimi idea for older granddaughters..a shopping coupon to shop with Mimi, Aunt Kim, and Grandma Garrett was totally successful!
Our always traditional Rum-E-Q games for all ages
Another Mimi first and total blessing to remembered forever, teaching my granddaughters how to sew on a button and begin sewing. They took to it like a duck to water!
Our amazing and very esteemed ladies..my mom and Aunt Margie
And even more memory making get togethers..my late dad’s sisters and family…priceless!
There are always, always the urgent or seemingly urgent for me, but what is truly important? So as one of my 3 R’s for 2014, REPLACE is a very high goal of mine.
Now days later, I’m on the road again (or plane again) for my husband’s father’s funeral back in Ohio. My mom’s trip was scheduled. Obviously, this next trip was not scheduled.This reinforces new priority goals.
The message I am hearing and sharing is:
- write the note
- make the phone call
- invite friends and family to dinners and make get togethers happen
- schedule family time above all else
I am striving to to REPLACE:
- anxiety with peace
- busy with effective
- urgent with essential
So, not my timing, but I did it anyway, will no doubt be one of my highlights of this year of 2014. May all of you “do it anyway.”
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