Be Here.

Today is my birthday.

I have now left that survey category for 25-34 year olds. I am now closer to 40 than to 30.

I'm okay with that.

I've been thinking a lot about how my life has changed-- how I thought I'd be so much less busy this year, but I've let myself get even more busy than I was. (I forgot "no" again, dang it!) I thought I was handling it pretty well, but I keep getting this message in my head that tells me that maybe I'm not.

The message is simply "Be Here."

You see, when I'm talking on the phone, I'm also doing laundry, paying bills, or peeing. (C'mon. You know you do it too.) When I'm talking to Layne or the kids, I'm also trying to figure out what to fix for dinner. When I'm blowing my hair, I'm also reading my email.

I guess it means that when it looks like I'm "here", I'm really "here, there, and everywhere."

The news had a story the other day about a study done on multi-taskers and how they were actually less efficient than people who focus exclusively on what they are doing. I think that there's something to that. Sometimes I get to the end of the day and I feel like all that I've done is check things off a list. It seems like I am always looking forward to something else-- even if I'm in the middle of doing one of the things that I was looking forward to!

I've never been a "joy in the journey" kind of person-- I'm always rushing to get wherever I'm going. (Just ask anyone who tries to keep up with me when I'm walking!) I don't know that I will necessarily stop doing that-- some things (like walking and driving slowly :-) still seem like a waste of time to me.

However, my goal for this next year is to really BE wherever it is that I am-- especially when I am with family and friends.

I guess that means I had better stop typing and pretending to listen to my son read.

Some habits die hard. . .