Whirlwind

Papers everywhere. Laundry washing, drying, rotating.  Kids schooling.  Multiple kids needing help at the same time.  Things taking longer than expected.  What's for potluck tomorrow?  What's for dinner tonight?  Don't forget to pay bills.  Oops, forgot to hit "start" on the dryer; wait another hour to rotate the next load.  The floor needs sweeping -- too bad!  

Whew, it was kind of a crazy day, and no matter how fast I moved, I wasn't able to be two places at once, or even, it seemed, in the one place I really should have been at any given moment.  And then late afternoon, I caught up, or at least found myself in a lull, and I just stood there, ready to run, with nowhere to go.  Nothing imminent in front of me.  A break so unexpected I almost tripped over it.

And still in high gear, my mind immediately shifted from today's "do this!" list to the long-term "do this!" list.  Surely there was something, something, I was supposed to be doing.  

But there wasn't.  Just a brief pause, not long enough to tackle anything major, or start anything new.  The perfect length for a cup of tea.  A prayer.  A Psalm.

And then the whirlwind began again.  Oversee son's dinner preparations.  Fold laundry.  Drat those bills I forgot to pay.  Place an on-line order.  Respond to purchase acknowledgement.

But somehow the second whirlwind was better, calmer, more enjoyable.  More whirl, less wind.  Or was it less whirl, more wind?  Either way, I was where I was supposed to be.

So I think I learned a lesson.  Pause.  Pray.  Sip tea.  Embrace the lull.  And keep on smiling while you whirl.