Don’t call me busy (please)

I know my url is busybenz, and some might say I’m a very busy girl. But, I like to think I lead a full life versus a busy life.

I must credit this subtle change in thinking and speaking to a family friend, Pastor Jack’s wife Beve.

“Oh Beve,” I said last Easter. “How do you do it all? You’re so busy.”

“I like to think I live a very full life,” she responded. “I think to say ‘I’m busy’ misleads people to think I don’t have time for them.”

I know I didn’t capture that verbatim, but nevertheless, the sentiment really stuck with me.

Yes. I like to pack a lot into a day. Perhaps too much. Between waking up at 5 to hit the gym or run, preparing lunches for T and me, working eight hours, meeting up with my mom for Zumba or another quick workout in the evening, and insisting on cooking dinner every night…not much time is left in the day to relax, read, craft, work on my hobbies, respond to personal correspondence, etc. etc. etc. Those are the things I love, and I yearn for the weekends when I can carve out time to unwind. 

Sometimes I know I’m too rigid. I like my routine, and I have a hard time busting myself out of it. It keeps me organized and sane. We don’t spend much money on the weekdays because I buy the groceries on the weekend. I don’t have to think about what we’re having for dinner because of my weekly meal plan. And, mind you, we’re in the midst of winter and the height of Tax Season. Summer is a different story. We’d rather be outside than inside, even on week nights, and barbecues trump any kind of meal-planned dinner. (So maybe I'm just describing "Hibernation Kate" here?)

And now, I’m rambling. The point of this post is about to get lost. I think what it needs now is a great big…

BUT.

But I hope I don’t appear…sound…come off as…too concerned with these things to help a friend, enjoy a spontaneous happy hour, or take a one-hour phone call from a long-distance companion. This is what matters in life. Moments and memories.

One time my friend Em said to me, “In ten years, are you going to remember all those work emails you’re trying to answer or…”

I can’t even remember now what it was I was worrying about. Whatever it was certainly outweighed all those work emails. I'm not even at that job anymore. And, I work with words, people. No one has ever died from a copy emergency (at least not that I'm aware of). 

I started writing this post days ago, and I am just now picking up where I left off. I'm not sure if I have anything else to add. Mainly, I wanted to hammer home the sentiment that I am thankful for my FULL life..my filled-to-the-brim life...not my busy life. Despite how I'm always blazing at one million miles per hour, I do have time. 

There's always time for the events, phone calls, coffee talks, spontaneous reasons for cakes needing to be baked at 11 p.m., and other worthwhile memories. Everything else will be forgotten.

Thank you, oh six blog readers, for indulging me in my stream of consciousness.