5-4-3-2-1 Reset

5 Things On Your Mind

Right now, I am thinking about:

1. dinner (which is not here and I am feeling a little unreasonably ragey about that)
2. the future of my English department and whether or not the budget cuts will make me feel more or less inclined to rebel against the status quo.
3. my dog, Sirius, and his inexplicable need to be touching me at almost all times.  When he is not attached to me, he is barking.  It’s been ten years and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down even a little bit.
4. my boys, who both happen to be in the same room with me and I am wondering about all of the ways that they are very, very much alike and very, very different.  That feels like something to really dig into at a later date when I am less hungry.
5. chores. We have household chores that have been divided up amongst the children since they were old enough to make real messes (not just highchair and diaper messes).  They have evolved with the kids as they grew older, giving them more responsibilities with greater degrees of difficulty:  picking up, dishes, laundry, sweeping & vacuuming… Right now I am wondering why I am still, often, in need of a clean towel.

4 Things To Do Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Shabbat, the day of rest for us Jews.  There is also an impending snow storm and a Purim Pizza Party tomorrow night (not to be misheard as “Porn Party” which was the case this past week when I was visiting with a close friend and her family following the death of her grandmother.  That was an interesting moment).  Purim is a fabulously fun holiday that commemorates the survival of the Jews in Persia and celebrates the demise of the evil villain Haman (boooo!) who was trying to annihilate them.  The ongoing war in Israel and the 134 hostages still being held and tortured has impacted this, as it has impacted every day since October 7th.  Nevertheless, we will drink, we will celebrate and we will be bolstered by our strong history, knowing that once again we will not just survive as a people, but we will thrive and persevere.

1. Write.  It will be day 23 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge and I missed far too much time writing defensively in the past few days.  There are some poems that need to be discovered.
2. Sleep in a bit.  My weekdays start at 4:15am and my weekends afford me the luxury of sleeping in until 6am (self imposed).  But I will be picking up my mother from the airport at 12:30am, so I expect that I will still be sleeping long past 6am.
3. I’ll be preparing for the aforementioned Purim party by 1) finalizing a scavenger hunt for teenagers and 2) stocking the bar for the adults in attendance. 
4. Restock the birdfeeders (and the squirrel feeder) since winter has decided that it is going to hang around for a bit longer.

3 Things You’re Grateful For

1. my home, full of love and comfort and complications and potential.  
2. health.  My heart beats at a rate my fitbit deems to be “in range” and my feet still carry me throughout my days.  I have a lot more lines on my face and a head full of gray, but everything seems to still be in good, working condition.
3. dinner. Since I began writing this, I was able to take a lovely break and have a delicious chicken dinner, with all my people that make me even more grateful for #1.

2 Things You Want Less Of

1. self doubt
2. the persistent disappointment that comes from having high expectations

1 Soul Moment

I am a better person when I lean into my joy.