Sometimes We Are Overwhelmed
Task 26, June 21 to June 28
I was going to write about religion today. I was going to talk about the insight I gained by attending a service at a church not my own…then I ran across this essay I wrote more than a year ago and never posted. And it resonated with me—it must be the time we live in…I hope it resonates for you as well.
Sometimes we get overwhelmed by our jobs, right? At least I do. I get so busy that I forget what day it is, let alone what time it is, and I forget to eat lunch, and when I leave in the morning it’s dark and when I get home it’s dark—and the merciless schedule takes a toll on my body and mind, it makes me forget what’s really important in life. Like family. And gratitude…
Well, I got a double shot of both this past week and it was great. My wife and I, reenacting the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles, traveled from LA to DC to Savannah Georgia to see our sons—the youngest works for the government, and the oldest is a newspaper writer. And despite exhaustion, a lost bag and too many hours in airplane/train terminals, we got to visit with our boys and I was able to reconnect with my spiritual self.
CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST, OLD PEOPLE THIS WEEK, ON YOUTUBE, SPOTIFY AND APPLE PODCASTS
How? The hours on the plane and the time on the train, and in the taxis and Ubers, gave me pause from my e-mails and the hectic pace of the office, and seeing my sons reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for…they are healthy and happy and thriving. They are full of spirit, men for others, and ready to face their own future. Which means my wife and I did something right—and isn’t that something to be grateful for?
I saw the changing leaves, the noonday sun, the beautiful fall evenings, and I was reminded once again of the wonders of the natural world.
We met our son’s friends, which reminded me of the great gift of youth; we talked about issues great and small; I saw the less fortunate on the streets of DC, which is a powerful reminder that I should never take life for granted, nor ignore the plight of those around me.
We got back home late, and exhausted, and the next day I was back at work, but I was a little more calmer, and less frenetic, and bit more thoughtful and certainly more aware, because I had been given a gift from God—a spiritual reminder that my life is more than work—and that I should live in gratitude.
Task: find a moment to reconnect with yourself.