Holiday Friending

Find the balance that is there--that's a message I wrote to myself, something for me to remember as the holidays shine on.

Yes, balance and time. Planning and inspiration. Decide the work, choose the task, and get it done. And sometimes the task is no task. And sometimes the work is fun. Balance--it's there, somewhere, a zebra in the mist, a changing mechanism. For the weights and levers of balance are constantly changing with respect to the changing gravity of Priority.

I am now reminded of a holiday season several years ago. I was staying up late one night, even though I had to get up early the next morning, and I was writing emails and holiday cards and getting some packages together--and it was at that exact moment when I had this idea: Man, I thought, a person could really be a full-time friend. It really takes time to do all these things. Phone calls and emails and letters and personal visits, yes, these things do take time.

And now, years later, I understand this more than ever. I put quite a bit of time into my full-time friend mission, and it's something that I'm proud of. I got to spend time with a lot of family and friends. And the interesting part is that I feel like it's still going on.

When will it end? I don't know. I don't want to know. No reason to pin it down with words. Commit to nothing. Open to everything. My mission has transitioned a bit, but I'm still spending time with family and friends locally, and so I feel like the mission is going on. I'll tell this story better and explore my thoughts more deeply in the book version. But for now, I have this blog post, a little, free, all-you-can read word buffet.

Although I like my late nights, sometimes I get up early. I get my writing done early so I can go out in the evenings. We have a lot of time each week, more than enough time for two full-time jobs. So why not work it?

There's a spirit in the air. It's the joy of the season and the magic of life. Time with family, time with friends, and some work that I enjoy--I am lucky and thankful. I am happy and excited. The snow is still lingering, all that snow! But the roads are mostly clear again. Our Christmas tree is up and I've caught Marley chewing on it. I tell him "No," and he understands. We have to put the ornaments up high, in the top half of the tree, so he won't get them.

Happy Holidays to everyone, and safe travels.
Fondly,
Jeff