You're Never Too Busy for the Important Stuff

A few weeks ago my aunt called me to invite me to a birthday party for her aunt, my great aunt. She was turning 90 and my aunt was throwing together a bash. My aunt was also performing in a musical that afternoon that a number of party guests were planning to attend. She said she I knew I was really busy but they’d love for me to come.

As it happened, I was busy. I had plans for later that same night, but I told her of course I would come. I kept my evening plans, adding in the play and the first hour of so of the birthday party. It made for a very busy Saturday, especially since I was already committed to baking a treat for my evening plans and offered to pick up store-bought appetizers for my aunt’s party.

It was worth it. I sat with my cousin in the rafters of my junior high school during the musical and at the end the whole cast sang happy birthday to my great aunt. Afterwards I rushed to buy a card for her from "all the cousins", and laughed as the three cousins that were in attendance (myself included) struggled to remember everyone’s names. I discovered that my great aunt went to the same high school as I had, which I’d never known, and I met my second cousin’s girlfriend. I didn’t want to leave early, but I did, and went on to enjoy similarly fun evening plans where my choco-mint brownies were a huge hit.

I’m a busy person, there’s no denying that, but I don’t ever want to be the kind of busy person that my friends and family think doesn’t have the time to hang out with them. I’m busy because I make myself available to do that, and I’m blessed to have plenty of people to do that with.

Your life is meant to be full, but it's up to you to fill it with what’s going to be meaningful. Make time for what’s important... If you’re too busy to enjoy you’re life you’ll miss it. Don’t underestimate the value of spending time with people, no matter what you’re doing with them.

I won’t miss the workout I skipped to see my aunt wear a fake wart on stage and dance around with mice, and seeing the joy on my great aunt's face surrounded by her family did more to reduce my stress than any good night's sleep ever would. My life is full, all right, but there's always room for more of the good stuff.