Step One: Lose It

Ahhhh, nothing beats Pandora, especially "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey. I'm sitting on my bed, my peach double-sided quilt and three pillows stacked behind my head, as I hear the faint drone of the a/c keeping the summer's evening heat at bay. No matter how long a day I've had at work, nothing beats coming home and fully relaxing, kicking back and knowing that I have a deliciously long evening stretching ahead with no one laying claim on my time. (except for the dishes, the correspondence course, the filing, and all those other "to do" items that keep nagging at the back of my mind!)

I learned something today: when you have a list of things to do, lose the list, and by the time you find it again, you will have accomplished at least two thirds of the items! Several days ago, I sat down and created a list of urgent to-do things so I could clear my head and get organized. Well, I promptly lost that list beneath piles of dead trees, I mean paper, and soon gave up hope of ever finding my desk again, let alone that list. Late this afternoon, I finally found the time (and people stopped coming in my office, the phone stopped ringing, and emails stopped flooding my Outlook inbox) to clear my office. As I shuffled through a pile of useless documents, my fingers stopped at a rather important paper: my list! I quickly located a pen and began to cross items off, until I realized that most of the things I was so worried about finding the time to do several days ago, were now finished.

I have been learning several other things in this past week or so. I have realized that I am a strong woman, I am comfortable with being who I am, and I will not allow myself to be controlled by anyone (my biggest pet peeve). I have a strong sense of justice and a big heart that aches to make everything better for everyone, both characteristics that I know God gave me. I have also realized that God understands when I'm struggling with all the injustices, the politics, and the hunger, pain, and suffering and that He is proud of me for caring.

It's been a week of learning, and it's not even Tuesday yet! Now to enjoy some Trader Joe's Chocolate Cherry Chip Icecream. . .