Enough, Next Times, As The World Turns

9-28-26 - Enough

I've felt this feeling before

    The I-still-have-a-hundred-things-I-could-do-

    but-I've-reached-the-point-of-"enough" feeling

As I waited for each of my 5 sons to be born,

    I kept nesting, kept checking things off,

    but "If the baby comes today, it's okay.

                                                I've done enough."

As I prepped my classroom each year for First Day of School,

    my to-do list (or could-do list) was still long,

    but I reached the point of "Ready or not, here they come!

                                                I guess I've done enough."

As we're down to 2 sleeps (!) before leaving,

    I'm realizing that my could-do list

                                is longer than my will-have-time-to-do list

    I won't have time to

        mow that stretch of grass beside the driveway

        get everything perfectly organized in our home

        finish those photo book Christmas presents (I can work on them in Japan)

        finish Level 3 of my Japanese language audio course

        research all the hidden gems and tourist tips (never-ending!)

            but I've just about reached "enough"

I still have time to do

    all that needs to be done

        and that's enough

9-29-26 - Next Times

 

As I ate my quesadilla tonight

    in a scrounge-around,

        eat-whatever-clears-the-fridge dinner

    I had the thought...

        The next quesadilla I eat 

            will be on board the cruise ship at El Loco Fresh

And I got to thinking of other "Next times"

The next time I worship with

    my First Alliance church family (in person)

        will be after Christmas!

The next time I fold clothes at home,

    it won't be shorts weather anymore!

The next time I wander around a grocery store,

    everything will be in Japanese!

The next time I sleep in my bed

    will be 87 days from now

The next time I fill up on gas

    will be in December 

        (I wonder what the gas prices will be then?)

The next time we pass food around the table in Lexington,

    we will have been to Japan and back

        with stories to tell

Makes me think of another meal...    

The next time You eat a Passover meal (Luke 22:15-16)

    will be with me and all Your followers

        when the Kingdom of God has come!

9-30-26 - As the World Turns

There have been times

    when my world has stopped

        but everyone else's 

            keeps going

Milling around the grocery store

    with a hundred strangers

        who have no idea

            that we just lost a baby

            or that my dad just died

    My mind is numb...

    Everything has changed...

        while everyone else

            goes about their normal day

This week, milling around the grocery store

    with people buying bread to pack for their work lunch tomorrow,

    and I'm buying snacks in preparation

        for an international trip

    It's not every day you can say,

        "I'm going to Japan this week!"

            (or at least setting sail for Japan)

    Unlike in my days of grief,

        there's a spring in my step

        and a song in my heart

            (that yes, I sang aloud in Wal-Mart)

We never know what joys and sorrows

    that random strangers are currently facing