Having flown home a day early to escape a Wisconsin blizzard, I faced a Maine snowstorm instead.  It got me thinking about snow days.  Remember when we were children and we prayed for snow days so we could stay home and do nothing?  All we had to do was play.  Nothing was planned for and nothing was expected of us.

These days, if the storm is particularly bad and we lose power for awhile, we’re afforded that same opportunity.  Without electricity, there’s nothing to do—no work, no computers, no telephone (we need to conserve those batteries).  All we can do is relax and do nothing.

But, that’s not always easy to do.  Our Puritan ethic has us so programmed that if we’re not doing something or accomplishing something, our personal value is in question.  And, unfortunately, that personal value has become tied to money, so we must also be earning something.  Sitting and doing nothing, just being, has become an art form—it’s just not natural anymore.

With the Holidays fast approaching it’s even harder.  So last night, home from work early to avoid the mess, did I relax and do nothing?  Did I just enjoy the company of my husband?  Oh no, I wrapped gifts for shipping, wrote Christmas cards and filled the time with doing.  God forbid, I should just relax and enjoy the extra time.  The Holidays easily push us into accomplishing something to earn our personal value—and there’s just so little time!

So this morning, I regret not taking advantage of some free time to do nothing.  Nothing—like enjoying time for me, for family, for saying no to earning for a while.  So, my early New Year’s resolution is to remember there’s more to life—much more—and to pray for more snow days!

To be or not to be—that is the question…

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