I am taking an opportunity to blog from my cousin Blake’s house in Tennessee on my way home from my grandmother’s funeral. Although sad, funerals are wonderful opportunities to renew connections with family. They also push us to analyze our lives, motivations, and what forces and influences have shaped us into who we are today. I have had discussions with family members this week who share my lack of ability to indulge in “down time” and my obsession with not being or appearing lazy. Today my aunt told me a couple of things my Granddad Piles would often say:
I’m not going to be caught sitting on the stool of do-nothing.
I’d rather wear out than rust out.
Sadly, I must say, I have no problems indulging in downtime when I find it. I have whole hours in which I do nothing productive with my life other than just think beautiful thoughts (snicker) …
Seriously, I have to re-rez myself with some non-productive Gail time a few minutes every day or I’m worthless to everybody. Comes with getting old, I think.
Dawn, noone can ever accuse you of appearing or being lazy…you do more in one day than I do all week…can’t wait to catch up on Sunday…and hey, when are we doing coffee???
With 8 kids if you can get some down time; I say “Go for it!”
I recently lost my dad and two brothers 5 years ago (with only a 36 day interval in between their deaths), so I can agree that funerals can be “wonderful opportunities to renew connections with family.”
I even had a friend ask me how could we have seemed so happy? My answer was that we grieved privately (for the most part) but it was like a family reunion also.
Condolences to you and yours.
A post about my dad:
http://ben-gal.tripod.com/index.blog?entry_id=1505012