I have a great dislike for the word Busy. Not for the word itself, but rather, how the word is often used. ...It's longed for. It's worn like a badge. It makes a home unpleasant. It makes children have to entertain themselves. And it doesn't make time for rest.

Aging gives you a certain perspective. It's one of the perks of getting older, I believe. If you ask me, I'll probably have some answers for you. In fact, I'm sure I would... I've tried to listen to the input from people who have been around for awhile. It's like a cheat-sheet. And I want others to "cheat" from what I've done. Learn from what I've done wrong. Learn from what I've done right... But the perspective that comes with age can also be one of the downfalls. I'm frustrated when I'm not asked. Or when what I say goes unheeded by those I care about. Goodness. It seems lately I spend a lot of time being frustrated, but that's a different story for a different time...

When I was younger, I loved being Busy. I felt that it gave me a sense of purpose. Like, somehow, if I wasn't Busy, I wasn't valuable... But looking back, I see some of the things I missed, things I rushed through or glanced over. I don't wanna be like that ever again... Right now, I relish in walking my dogs. I like seeing things through the eyes of my iPhone camera. Instagram was made for my dog walks. Stopping to smell the wisteria in bloom fills my senses and spurs my creativity. I like spending evenings with my husband, watching Seinfeld reruns on TBS. Yesterday, I taught my oldest GrandBoy about looking for pictures in the clouds. For about 60 seconds. He's three. I like reading good children's literature. I like laughing with some of my favorite comedians on Pandora.

There are pulls on my time, sometimes more than I'm comfortable with. I get overwhelmed at them every so often. And I don't like that feeling. It reminds me of my earlier days and ways. I'll snap at my husband, or cry because of so-much-to-do. That sort of situation is a weakness of mine. At the very least, Too Busy is not my Happy Place.

So, as much as is within my power, I think I'll choose to take it as slow as I can. To take things one at a time. And when I do have lots to do, I'll just take busy without the capital B...