What's Really Important?

Getting ready for some tea and talk

My favorite weekdays are Tuesday and Friday when James works half the day and comes home early. I look forward to that time together because we almost always spend it in creative conversation. 

Sometimes it bugs me a little to know that with those free hours at our disposal, we choose to ignore all that needs doing around here and instead spend our time knee deep in tea and talk.

But then I think of a former co-worker who shared with me one Monday morning how he and his wife spent the entire weekend painstakingly washing windows, he on the outside at one end of the house, she on the inside at the other. I told him I admired his ambition and congratulated him on his big beautiful home, and he confessed to me that he'd ditch it all to live with her in a little cottage where perhaps they'd wash the windows together. 

And then I look at James and know how lucky I am. 

That former co-worker stayed married for another 6 months before calling it quits. She kept the big beautiful house he'd slaved over for her and he went in search of someone to talk to. 

I'll never forget that story. I think about it all the time.

Life is so short. A lot shorter than I EVER imagined. And in the grand scheme of things, my time spent knee deep in tea and talk (or toys and hugs) far outweighs anything else I do.

Even art.
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