Those who know me best know that my brain is constantly buzzing with a to-do list. So, naturally, a slice from me wouldn’t be complete without one. I adore making lists and, even more than that, adore crossing things off the list!
Lately, there have been an exceptional number of lists in my life… the ones swirling in my brain like the New York Stock Exchange, the rainbow of post-its covering my work desk, the scribbles of childcare plans on my kitchen whiteboard, my phone constantly vibrating with reminders, and even some very critical lists written with crayon on napkins in my car.
This weekend, as we prepared our home for an upcoming renovation project, my husband and I were busily checking things off our list. There was a lot to accomplish as we cleaned up and cleared out the rooms where construction would soon take place. This effort primarily happened after dark, on tiptoe, with hushed voices, frantic hand gestures, and tired bodies when both of our tiny humans were asleep.
The night before construction began our to-do list was a full-body workout:
relocate the stacked washer-dryer unit - CHECK!
carry a twin bed down two and a half flights of stairs - CHECK!
haul way too many unpacked boxes (from our move a year and half ago)
to their new location where they will remain in unboxed purgatory for
who knows how long - CHECK!
One more to-do stood between us and crashing on the couch: trudge through the snow to the shed so we could
trash the dreadful, dated window treatments left behind by
the previous owners - CHECK!
With our final task complete, we walked back toward the house. I looked toward my kiddos bedroom windows and began mentally running through the items to pack in their bags, and the morning routine that I knew would arrive in a blink. Then my eyes unintentionally drifted skywards. After days and days of gray, the clouds had finally cleared. Orion was sparking. The moonlight was bright. The street was empty. The trees were still. The air was cold and crisp.
The world was quiet…and for the first time in a long time, my mind was quiet.
I love my lists, but, man, that quiet felt better than any completed to-do list ever has.
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