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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

These last couple of weeks have been hard. Not crazy complicated or super heavy or even that terribly difficult, just hard. This time of year gets busy with all the end of the year activities. I have a few things I am trying to juggle at my job. My friends are going through things, and as their friend, I’m going through these things with them. Add in a lack of sun and a dash of lack of sleep and, well, these last couple of weeks have been hard.

When I am in the middle of something, I usually don’t even realize I’m in the middle of it. I notice that I am a little more tired or a little faster to get emotional. I start to notice that no amount of sleep really does the trick. You can’t see the forest for the trees. It takes time away from the chaos for me to understand that, whoa, I really was going through something there.

As projects are wrapping up and activities are winding down, I can finally see how much I’d been carrying. As if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I’m finding it easier to breathe and relax. It takes me a bit to unwind after I have been wound that tight. I am almost holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have been busy for so long, it’s hard to believe I’ll actually have a weekend off.

I have a friend who lives just a few miles out of town. A few years ago, I’d see her almost daily. Our lives have both gotten busier over the years, so our interactions have gotten less and less. In order for us to get together for dinner, we had to mark it on our calendars over a week in advance. I think this is common for most adults. If you want to do something fun with your friends, you literally have to schedule it the way you would a dentist appointment.

Being able to dress up and go out with my girlfriend was exactly what my soul needed. She took me to a restaurant I had never been to. The weather was perfect and we sat on their patio. Soft music playing as we ate, laughed and told stories without any interruptions. We took pictures and posed with our food. We acted silly and were not worried about our children or our jobs or anything.

It reminded me of who I am. For a few hours, we were just two friends hanging out and having fun. We are all so busy all the time working and doing nonsense things, it was delightful to just enjoy the evening.

I have to work a little bit this weekend, but next weekend is looking fairly open. In fact, I can see that some of my nights are starting to free up as well. It’s a good feeling to know that summer is coming, and I may have some time to actually enjoy it this year. 

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.