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Grabbing Little Moments

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Frazzled image

Frazzled image

We keep hearing from pretty much everyone around us:  “I’m so/too busy” or “I have no time” or “I’m sick of all my running around”.  It seems we have overscheduled ourselves or have simply not learned how to manage our time.  Of course, one could say that I have no right to talk about this as I don’t have a regular “job” to go to.  But, for the moment, that is my choice.  Hopefully once the estate is all taken care of I will be able to continue doing what I am doing and actually increase my business and make a living.  Yes, for now, it is enough.  Later, well, I’ll deal with it.

That said, I feel “everyone’s” pain.  I have been everyone. Most of the “everyones” I am talking about have spouses and kids which means that not only are their own schedules full of their own stuff, they are full with the happenings of their kids and spouses.  Between everyone’s activities, the housework, the job, the taxi-service they find themselves providing, or even having to take it all on because the spouse just happens to be away for work.  It seems so glamorous for outsiders looking in.  “Wow, how cool is his/her job that she must travel to new places!  They get to leave the humdrum of everyday to go out there and see new people.” How exotic is it really to go to the Grand North of Quebec or the City of Toronto, or whatever town one is being shipped to for business.  Seriously.  The person travelling, even if they are being shipped off to Paris for a clothing show, is so scheduled that they themselves cannot even take the time to visit the place.  Yes, I will admit there are things to see and do in Toronto!  The spouse left behind has to take on the roll of chauffeur, dental/doctor/whatever appointment taker, grocery shopper, house cleaner, etc. and still go to their full- or part-time job and hopefully, find time to go to the gym or whatever it is that they enjoy doing.

Yes, there are single parents out there who have been doing it all on their own for years.  They have learned to cope and organise and do the necessary to make it happen.  They have found their rhythm.  They (hopefully) know what they can and cannot do with the hours given to each of us in every day. And they, too, are probably “sick of running around”, etc.

So what happens when your usually-present spouse, who usually participates in these various activities, suddenly is not there to lend his/her helping hand ~ or should I say, take on their part?  (No, I am not talking about the households where the spouse never does anything to help!  The spouse left behind falls into that category of having figured out their time as a single parent would!  See above.)  The left-behind parent becomes the frazzled “I’ve-no-time-to-breathe parent”.  And this, whether for a few days or a few weeks or more.

So, what to do?  Well, when this happens and you wish you could go have lunch with a friend but don’t really have the time ~ see above rambling ~ you tell that friend to join you at Costco for a shopping/gabfest!  If you’re lucky, you run into a mutual friend and waste share that time chatting in the aisles blocking the cheese section!

I call this “Grabbing Little Moments”.  Oui, Marie-Claude, I am talking of us this morning!  It sounds so trifling or trivial but these little moments may actually give you that little boost you were needing to not go over the edge!

So, with three-quarters of an hour to walk Zeke in the frigid air and take a shower, that is exactly what we did!  We grabbed a little moment and next time, we’ll splurge and add the time for a coffee first!

It was seriously nostrils-sticking-together cold out there but I managed to snap a few pics during that walk!

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35 thoughts on “Grabbing Little Moments”

  1. It’s true, Dale, we get ourselves so bogged down with the necessities of life we forget to appreciate and take those little moments for ourselves. It doesn’t take much, like you said, and it can change our course for the rest of the day.

    One thing, it’s nice to have our four-legged companions with us. Take care, my friend, and I’m happy to see you’re well and doing better.

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    • It really doesn’t and the person I shopped at Costco with sent me a note telling me how much our little encounter changed her task into a pleasant moment! Her day turned around and mine continued in the upbeat mood I had been in all morning!
      Oh, without Zeke, I might find myself curled up into a corner, letting time pass me by without participating in it…

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      • Amazing, Dale, how we don’t realize how so many little things we do in a given day can make such a difference in someone else’s life. I’m happy for you and for her that you had that chance encounter. And, Zeke — oh man, what can I say? I know what you mean and how much our animals fill our lives. So glad he’s there for you. 🙂

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  2. Hello Dale,

    Glad you found even “a little moment” to connect with your friend. It’s true that little moments can make all the difference.

    Wishing you all good things,
    Carol

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  4. The same thought keeps coming into my head. It’s been a bit over 2 months since your life drastically changed. As I read your posts and interact with you, I keep smiling and cheering for you because you seem determined to move on. That doesn’t mean you don’t hurt or don’t get down, but you are focused ahead … so keep pressing forward.

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    • See Frank? Told ya you were an ole softie… well, no I didn’t, did I? The list had Kind, sweet, witty, smart but not “ole softie”.
      I do thank you for being in my cheering section (it really makes a huge difference to have you there). I am definitely determined to move forward and you are so right, I will get hurt and do get down but I don’t want to remain in those feelings. Will definitely keep pressing forward, with the help of all the kind-hearted people who take the time to read me.

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  5. Great advice! No matter how busy you are it’s so important to snatch whatever time you can to just connect with others or do something for yourself. It’s these little things that keep us sane (or thereabouts ;)).

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  6. Dale, congratulations on your new career as a thief. I once considered being a cat-burglar, but then thought better of it after I remembered, Cats have an occasional hairball problem. Stealing moments here and there though, what a clever idea, they’ll never catch you.

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