This question has been running in my head and
passing through my conversations for months now. Why do I not have time to clean the house,
have a meaningful conversation, call my friends? Why do I not have time for
the things we enjoy - a craft, a good book, a cup of tea?
Doubtless, I am not the first person to ask this
question. And there are surely people who don’t feel this way - who do have the
time they want for the things they want it for. But in my little world, it does
not seem the case. And we live in a small town and mostly don’t watch
television.
Life is
simply more complicated than is used to be. Families don’t live near each other
anymore. We work away from family and friends for the majority of our time
(usually doing something we don’t even like). There are a so many ways to “keep
in touch” that’s it’s hard to keep up with it and so many people to keep up
with that it rarely happens. Any decision involves an thousand options.
Everything seems complicated.
We are a mobile society. Since our family has a
car and can drive, then we take 7 hours to visit my husband’s family. And
that’s time we’re not getting to simply relax at home. And while time there is
important and great, it means that we very, very rarely have a “normal” weekend
at home.
Which brings me to work. My husband’s job
requires a lot of weekends, so when he is home on a weekend, something else is
usually happening to keep it from being a lazy (or productive-around-the-house)
kind of time. This factor for us, work, is something I’ll address in another
post.
For me, it seems there are many factors. I feel
busy because I put a lot on my plate. I want a clean home, homemade meals,
homeschooled kids, to attend all church services, and time to read, write, sew, and exercise (to name a few). Well, I
have two little ones who require a lot of time, energy, and attention. But part
of this stress, I feel, is from the state of our society today. Running a home
is not as simple as it used to be. And many of us were not taught how to manage
a home like it was taught “back in the day”. I don’t run my house a certain way
because that’s the way my mother did, because that’s the way her mother did,
and her mother before her. I run it the way I do because I’m still trying to
figure it out! Shortly after I got married, I read Sink Reflections by the Fly
Lady and it was great! But once I had children, it didn't work anymore. So I’m
still trying to figure it out. And I’m not just figuring that out, but just how
to manage life in general.
Another thing for me is that it takes me a long
time to make a decision. Lots and lots of choices are not good for a person
like me! I want to know all my options. I want to weigh them, think about it
for a while, and go back and forth for as long as possible. I just want to make
a good decision, especially when it comes to spending money. So, for example,
shopping online can really can eat up a lot of my “free” time. I am working on
this.
In general, it feels like our life is
disconnected. There’s work and the people at work, there’s church and the
people at church, friends, and family. Some are connected, some are not. To be
fully engaged with each section of our life is exhausting. We are getting
exhausted. And as our family grows, we’ll need even more time together as a
family that will put even more strain on these other factors of our lives. This
has got to be addressed.
This question, these thoughts, they are stirring
a movement within our home.
Do
you feel busy too? If so, why? If not, what do you do to keep life balanced?
