Wasting Time, or Not

" I wasted a lot of time today, " Harry said.  "What did you do?"  I asked.  "Talked with Sarah several times; loaded some washing; paid some bills; picked up the mail and some groceries; put one coat of paint on the airplane; replaced the wicks and the oil in the emergency lanterns; repaired the legs of a chair; answered e-mail; went to the Planning and Zoning meeting; talked to a couple kids on Facebook; cleaned the garage; took a load of weeds to the recycle center at the landfill; picked up our meds; moved money from one account to another to cover an unexpected debit [no reference to me, the guilty party], and cleaned behind the washer and dryer.  That was about it.  Didn't get anything done on the house, really."

That made me laugh.  It sounded like one of my days when I was the stay at home mom and he was the hard working bread winner.  I just did lots and lots of seemingly unimportant and insignificant things that usually had to do with one of the 5 kids having to get somewhere or eat something or wear something.  Now the roles are slightly reversed.  I work at the opera company and he is retired.

So I have pondered a lot about time - wasted time, particularly.  And I have decided that there is no such thing as time wasted in the service of our families.  All that mothers do and all that fathers do - old or young, retired or working - that serves the family is good time spent; not wasted.

The day in 1976 when I got up at 5:30 to bake cookies for the boys  to take to class for Halloween they do not remember.  It was just one event in a long, not-listed and unnoticed, train of "Stuff Mothers Do."  I will not be written up in a book or given any kind of prize.  No fame.  No fortune.

I could have spent 20-30 years of my life determined to do something to fulfil "my destiny."   Who knows?  Maybe I was meant to be a famous singer, composer, artist (not), dancer (never), writer.  Maybe I would have discovered the cure for some obscure disease.  Maybe I could have saved someone from drowning if I had been a great swimmer/lifeguard.

But I didn't.

And I am glad, because -

Although lots of my time was spent tired and much was used up doing seemingly endless, mindless little jobs and projects, it was ALL GOOD.

Even the time I spent wondering if I was spending my time appropriately was not wasted.  We all have to figure those things out.  We have to ponder and pray.  We have to discover what is right for us.  We have to have choices, make decisions, follow the Spirit.  Live.

Whatever we decide is the right path for us, we will never waste time if our time has been overlaid with the desire to love and underpinned with the desire to serve.

Harry now spends all of his days in the service of his family, mainly us, since you - my children - are grown.  He is so lucky!  What a great way not to waste time.

Mom, the Retired :  Driver, Cookie Baker, Washer of Endless Clothes, Maker of Endless Beds; Weed Puller, Floor Sweeper, Nose Wiper, Sad-Child Hugger, Singer of Bedtime Songs, etc ......................