I spent last weekend mostly inside doing household tasks and working. It was fine; I got a lot done. However, as I began the week, I felt lopsided, the scale tipping heavily toward “all work and no play.” Well, not this weekend, buster.
A text came in from a friend Thursday afternoon asking who, among the group of 15 we’ve collected over the years, would like to paddle board with her in Annapolis. The typical texts started rolling in: sorry, we’re booked; we’re volunteering at…next time; I wish – the kids have games, etc. They were all legitimate excuses, especially from the friend who moved to San Antonio over a year ago. My first instinct was, “I don’t think so – too much work to do.” Then I stopped myself and pictured those numerous hours I spend in front of a screen Monday through Friday. I also checked the weather forecast. “Yes, I am in!” I replied, before I could change my mind.
One other friend dumped her to-do list, and we headed out to Annapolis after lunch yesterday. The sky was blue, the water calm, and seagulls called to each other as they swooped in wide arcs. We almost made it to where you can catch a glimpse of the Bay Bridge, but the boat traffic was picking up, as we had left the no wake zone; we turned around, choosing a peaceful paddle over surfing. A day on the water, soaking in the post-summer sun, was just what I needed to balance out last weekend.
But…I needed to be certain I had balanced the scale. Another gorgeous day was delivered to us today, so I called my parents and convinced them to meet us at one of the riverside parks in Old Town, Alexandria. Since my mom, who is admittedly weak on navigational skills, has taken over as primary driver, and my dad has fuzzy days sometimes, I sent them a picture with a big red X to mark our meeting spot, as well as the exact location that they could plug right into their directions. We hopped on our bikes, comfortable chairs for my parents loaded into Chris’s cargo bike. Of course, my parents ignored my directions and went to where they just assumed we’d be. Luckily, my sister caught up with them, and we also deployed Edwin and Maxine to retrieve them and walk them over to where we had our picnic blanket spread out and chairs set up for them at a safe distance from us.
We spent about an hour and half basking in sun, in the middle of a sloping green field with a view of the sparkling river. As Edwin huddled, masked, with his Nana, and Maxine joked around with her Pop, Chris and I chatted with my sister as the problems of the world melted away for a few precious moments.
I can say with confidence that I feel balanced now.
My Corner of the Village 