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Projects, projects, projects. My whole life is a list of projects! Vintage chairs that I somehow convinced myself I’ll make time to refinish. Piles of sweaters that are begging to be organized before the winter months return. In my home office lived a sweet, little bin that I shipped all the way home from my favorite Paris flea, Marché aux Puces. I envisioned it as a planter filled with pink Napoleon roses or French lavender. Instead it shamelessly overflowed for ages with personal mail destined for the shredder, and every time I stuffed one more envelop in it, I promised “I’ll eventually get around to shredding this stuff.”
Well, it’s eventually. Now is eventually. But be careful, Desmoiselles.
My to-do-list, much like my charming Parisian bin, runneth over and I’m fairly certain that I am not alone on this. Yet, suddenly and quite unexpectedly, we all find ourselves facing an unprecedented amount of free time. My knee-jerk reaction was to make a DO list. “Do upholster the chair. DO organize that room. Shred, shred, SHRED!” It’s possible that this was just my desperate attempt to control something… ANYTHING… and I have actually knocked quite a few projects off my list. But this week, almost in a whisper, it dawned on me, “Spring is springing. Today!” Birds are singing a capella outside my window. The breeze smells warm and brand new. Trees are budding white blossoms, daffodils are in full glorious bloom, and one thing is for certain, this time next week the crocuses will all be gone, not to return until next year.
Suddenly, shredding 2019's utility bills seems silly.
We have a wonderful opportunity in front of us, mes amis. We have been gifted TIME! Time to call that wonderful friend whose posts you “like” a few times a day, but you haven’t actually spoken to since her birthday last June. Time to post a handwritten card to your old gal-pal who sends you a delightful holiday greeting each year. Don’t squander this time pintresting 50 shades of gray for your French farmhouse kitchen make over. Get IN your kitchen! Flip through that dusty cookbook collection, give the duck a l’orange a go, and drop some off to your neighbor with a note that says “If we have anything you need...”
This too shall pass. Before we blink, we’ll be back to work, back to carpooling, back to making excuses and wishing we had more TIME. So, I’ve revised my list. DO call. DO write. DO read. DO listen to the birds. DO sing with them. Less FB liking, more people loving… and for goodness sake, DO be still. You just might find, in your stillness, that the world around is very busy… blooming and become new. Take notice. You deserve this.