This Is the Day
Posted on: February 24, 2014
- In: Everyday Life | Faith | Family | Parenting
- 2 Comments
This weekend, my husband and I had a “date afternoon”—coffee and browsing time at the local bookstore. While we were out, I picked up one of those dry-erase wall calendars for our son.
As I filled in the next month’s appointments and events, I was surprised (and maybe a little dismayed) to see that March break starts in two weeks. I haven’t given much thought to any plans for the break.
In our house, planning ahead and being prepared helps us make time for family time. I try to keep a few things on hand, such as a list of some movies we’d like to see, coupons for museums and restaurants, the makings of quick but nutritious snacks and meals (vital with a teenaged son), and the oomph to survive long games of Munchkin or Gran Turismo. And I keep a lookout for cultural festivals, concerts and other events we might enjoy.
Surprise visitors to our backyard
Yet a diehard planner like me also needs to make room for the unexpected: the chance for a photo shoot with ducks visiting our backyard; a spur-of-the-moment choice to watch a movie that’s so awful we burst out laughing; discussions that just happen in the car, like our chat yesterday about how we observe Lent.
That balance between planning ahead and living in the moment can be hard to strike. We want to be able to visualize our week—or at least our day—with a glance at our planner, PDA or smart phone. Reminding ourselves that the laundry or dishes or e-mail that seems so pressing will still be there later (as my mother has often said) can be challenging.
Sometimes we need to ask ourselves whether our schedules are so set in stone that we miss out on those moments—last-minute coffee dates, family game nights, talks with our not usually talkative teens—where we really connect with our spouse and our children.
I pray that we would find the balance between being prepared and remembering to appreciate the unexpected.
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
~ Psalm 118:24
(*Scripture quote taken from the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.)
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2 Responses to "This Is the Day"
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A Catholic Convert in Ottawa 
February 26, 2014 at 1:58 pm
would you care if I post this on my twitter?
February 27, 2014 at 12:13 pm
That would be fine. Thanks for asking 🙂