A Blizzard's Gift

One thing I have always struggled with is having enough time. False belief systems that "life is too short" and "there's not enough time in the day" have often haunted my thinking. How can I find the time to check things off my to-do list: time to be a mom, run errands, get my daughter fed, dressed, and to the bus stop, run a charity, volunteer, work on my dreams as a writer and performer, etc. etc... you get the point. I am exhausted just thinking about it all.

I DO take the time to watch the sunrise and meditate almost every day, and a few days a week I take the time to attend my Kickboxing and Yoga classes because without them, my sanity is at stake. And still I never seem to be on time and I spend most days feeling rushed. I hate rushing! I constantly have to remind myself that God's timing is perfect, and that the concept of time is just an illusion, created by Man. God isn't holding a clock. But does that help my anxiety about time?

Today, I woke up to more than three feet of snow on the ground. And suddenly, time has stopped. Outside my window, where the road used to be, are ripples of snow that closely resemble ocean waves. And this means that we cannot go anywhere... and suddenly it hits me that I have zero obligations. The things I was supposed to do today would require me to drive, and that isn't possible. And wow - now I have ALL the time in the world! Time to spend with my family, time to laugh with neighbors as we shovel snow, time to make delicious food to eat, time to be creative, and even time to write this blog! What a gift!

As I continue to stare at the sun rising over this ethereal snow covering the Earth like a blanket from heaven, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The power is still on so our home is warm, and my family is sleeping peacefully. I realize that the fact that we are all healthy is a blessing beyond compare. I know that there are families out there in which this much snow might be the difference between life and death if their child spikes a fever, or a power outage could mean that those with special needs will have their life-saving equipment compromised. My prayers are with them all.

And as I type this, an idea is forming... maybe I could bake some cookies with my daughter... and organize a mini bake sale out of our garage with the neighborhood kids? We could raise money to donate to the amazing organizations that help these families, such as Stillbrave and The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation, just to name a few...! And what's stopping us? We have plenty of TIME!