Now? Now. Now!
Once upon a time a few weeks ago I was preparing. I was preparing for a cross-country road trip, preparing to teach a Reiki I class by taking what I had learned and creating my own curriculum and handouts, and preparing to be gone from my home base for a two full weeks. It was mentally, emotionally, and physically taxing and I was looking forward to all of it.
In 1986, I was gifted a book called “The Precious Present” by Spencer Johnson, MD. I would like to say it changed my life, but honestly, I was 16 years old and most of the time since then it has spent its time moving when I move and taking its place on book shelves next to Sark’s “Bodacious Book of Succulence”, “Wherever You Go There You Are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn, and “Deep Thoughts” by Jack Handy. They hold each other up well next to the knick-knacks and photos. I might have skimmed them once or twice. I like the titles.
So enough rambling - the point is: In general, I’m pretty good about staying in the present. I don’t get too caught up in the past or too worried about the future most moments through two strategies: 1) I’m so busy focusing on what I have to do right now that I can’t focus anywhere else, and 2) Distraction, aka. my Redecor app where I zone out and focus on decorating a virtual room with virtual walls, floors, fabrics, ceilings, and accessories. I’ve gotten pretty good at it! (Blush, blush)
Seriously, though, it’s a challenge to start a new business and not think about it all the time. How can I get my name out there? Have I posted enough on Social Media? Have I taken enough classes? Have I prepared adequately to teach what I’ve learned to others in a way they’ll understand? Which logo is best? Am I getting my money’s worth from my paid advertising? Why is it always the parts that make a business a business (not a hobby) the least fun and motivating parts to do?
That all said, when one takes a two-week hiatus to road trip with their youngest child and visit family, all of the above questions need to take a back seat. There is nothing that can be done about them if one is going to practice staying in the “now”. When you’re driving across Minnesota, North Dakota, and most of Montana, you take that time to listen and talk to your adult daughter about her hopes and dreams. You jam to BBNO$, Yung Gravy and Snoop Dog, and Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus, and Mendelssohn and you appreciate her playlist because you know you’ve influenced each other’s tastes and you didn’t know you liked rap so much. You soak in all the love when you reach your in-laws because they are so glad to see you both and happy to spoil you rotten.
When storms threaten the passes, you must move on and get said daughter to her college town and get her moved in for her last semester. A chance to spend the night(s) - or as my cool younger sisters dubbed it “S the N”, at your husband’s cousin’s house with her loveable dogs and cat has you doing slumber party antics, like staying up past midnight talking and even doing card readings. Adult things like moving belongings, getting groceries, and activating key cards are accomplished, but the most fun is coffee shop hopping and book store browsing before we must say goodbye. Tears happen because serious bonding was accomplished.
A quick flight gets me to Seattle where I’m met by Daughter #1 in all her adultedness. She drives in rush hour traffic in the rain to get us to her apartment where her girlfriend has prepared a delightful dinner. We chit chat for a bit before I have them drive me to see my mom, where I will stay in my childhood bedroom. I’m exhausted from my slumber parties and the time change, but I don’t want to miss out on connections. I catch up with my mom, my daughter and girlfriend, and family next door (sister, brother-in-law, and 3 of their kids) and before I know it, I’ve stayed up too late once again. Oops! But which part would I sacrifice? None of it…none of them! And now my time is carefully balanced between getting almost enough sleep and seeing people I love. Over the next several days I got to spend hours with 6 good friends, and 7 more family members. I got to stay-in and have in-depth conversations about topics varied. I got to go out and wine and dine with old friends. I got some alone time with my sister who made sub plans so she could spend time with me. I got to celebrate my first born daughter’s birthday doing some of her favorite things with our family, with my mom, and with her girlfriend. When my time was up, I got up with my daughter before dawn, got Starbucks because that’s the rule before dawn in Seattle, and headed to the airport.
After spending longer in line for security than in the air, I landed in Spokane to visit my bookend sister and her family. A mere 13 years and 5 days younger than me, there’s no mistaking we are sisters. In fact, someone asked if we are twins! That’s good genes, folks! But seriously, I had a wonderful time bonding with the babies (well, two and four year old) of my baby sister. We had adventures, built Magnatiles, played babies, baked cookies, and decided we really liked each other. And then, after a long bedtime routine, drawn out by extra books (I’m a sucker.), my sister and I would stay up around-and-once-or-twice-past midnight talking and catching up without interruption or little ears listening.
Which thing should I have foregone to focus on my business? Which person? I can’t choose. I wouldn’t choose. These two weeks of moments were all precious and I wanted to be present for all of them.
Unfortunately, in my travels, I managed to pick up an unwanted passenger (Covid) and now I am forced to rest and to stay home. If there weren’t a pandemic, and if I didn’t pick an oracle card “Denial”, I may not have tested for Covid, as my symptoms are similar to how I feel when I don’t take my allergy meds or get my allergy shots. I have no aches or fever. Yesterday I was tired, but I flew two time-zones home on a sleep deficit. I would’ve been tired anyway. Fortunately, NOW I have time to focus on my business. No, I can’t do Reiki in-person (but distal reiki I can do!) and a face-to-face card reading would be ill-advised, but I can do the social media stuff. I can work on taxes. I can contact people who said they were interested and make future appointments. I can read and listen and learn and journal and meditate. Suddenly, the time is now for the things that had been back-burnered. And just like every moment I spent with someone I love, I will treasure this time too. The Universe has my back. All will be well.
