'ROUND HERE

Helen needed to be present until her changes of address had been completed, but since then she has been spending her weekdays with her son who lives a good 90 minutes drive away. They both come and stay the weekends with me. He does any heavy or outside work and Helen and I have been sorting through stuff that needs to be discarded and/or moved; a task that is long overdue.

Taking advantage of her absence, a friend came in Monday and Tuesday and painted her room upstairs, and today her son lifted most of the old carpeting in preparation for the wood flooring she wants put down. My own son has not yet picked up the things his family left behind, so we’re still stepping over and around things. I have a promise that it will be removed on Monday, but I’m not holding my breath. It is summer vacation after all, and everyone seems to be busy going somewhere or doing something else.

My garage is plugged full of the office equipment and old desks, and various pieces of furniture. A truck was to come by this morning and clear that area, but the driver called at the last minute to put it off until next Saturday. Bummer! We have the impression that for every two steps ahead, we are taking one back. I’m used to this kind of procrastination, especially when there is no cost involved – it is all being done as a favor. Helen, however, being true to her German heritage, is very pro-active, and it was apparent that she was getting cross because of the delays. It was time for a ‘round here’ chat.

“Will it really matter if it isn’t done TODAY?” I interrupted her tirade with the question.

“But I like to have it done and get it over with!” she responded. “So if we just move this over here...”

“We’ll just have to move it again when the time comes,” I reminded her. “Isn’t that creating extra work for no reason?”

"Well, yes, but...” She bristled, her frustration quite evident. “I have to do something. I can’t just sit around and wait!”

I handed her the broom. “Here, use this. That would be a useful busy.” I said. Her expression told me that she was sorely tempted to hit me over the head with it. I began to laugh.

“Are you not the same woman who was telling me that she does things too quickly? Without thinking things through? And causing herself more stress because of it?”

She laughed too as she agreed with me. It’s an ingrained habit of hers, this leaping before she looks, and one she is resolved to correct. The best way to change an attitude is little by little, day by day, starting with unimportant things. Today was a fine example. There was no emergency because our plans had fallen through, and getting upset would accomplish nothing more than spoil her day.

I gestured to the coffee machine. “Let’s sit for a minute and I’ll explain again how things happen ‘round here,” I teased. We sat down for a cuppa, her son and the doggies joined us, and it wasn’t long before she began to relax. When we stood to continue our toil, she grabbed the offending broom and headed towards the hall, then stopped to look back at me.

“I WILL learn to calm down,’ she determined. “I need to do this, and I will.”

“I know,” I answered her. And we both SMILED.

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.