New Year’s Day

I left lots of space in my New Year’s weekend. No agenda, no schedule, no plans. The New Year is all about making a new start.  I began by clearing away all the Christmas clutter, writing thank you cards, and taking a long walk in the crisp sunshine. After lunch, I sorted through my in-progress writing projects and decided what I want to work on next.

None of those tasks were on a to-do list; they just happened, organically.

We all need days like that once in a while. Our brain needs a rest from daily schedules. Our body needs a rest from the stress that comes from maintaining daily schedules.

Schedules

“But wait,” you cry. “Aren’t you retired? What’s all this about daily schedules and stress?”

Well, that’s the well-kept secret of retirement. Once we free ourselves from the demands of work, many of us fill our days and nights with activities that we enjoy. But it takes some serious willpower to keep ourselves from overdoing it. Or at least it does for me.

I spent the last month taking care of my youngest granddaughter while her parents worked. This is something I offered to do, and I am thrilled to be front row center for each of her developmental milestones. She smiles now, quite regularly, and can hold a soft knitted ball with two hands. She turns over from her front to her back (doesn’t like Tummy Time one little bit), and can almost turn from her back to her front. (Wonder what she’ll do when she succeeds? Turn herself over again?)

These details fill my weekdays. And in between taking pictures to send to mom and dad, I get to hold her in my arms as I feed her, show her our reflection in a mirror, and carry her to the changing table. It’s wonderful.

But in order to do this, I need to maintain a schedule. Early to bed, even earlier to rise. Make coffee and breakfast. Feed Kismet. Pack a lunch. Take Kismet for a walk. Drive across town in rush hour traffic. Drive home in the dark. Make dinner. Feed Kismet. Read the mail. Repeat. 

My granddaughter is on a schedule, too. It’s called “sleep training,” and involves feeding her as soon as she awakens, then fresh clothes and playtime, and watching her closely for yawns and frustration, rocking her until her eyelids get heavy, then placing her carefully into her bed and tiptoeing away.

A Weekend to Rest

So two whole days off with no lunch to pack, no driving, no alarm, no sleep training — soaking luxuriously in the spa for as long as I want — that feels pretty good. But I do miss that baby in my arms.  I wonder what she learned to do today?

How are you spending your New Year’s weekend? You can use the comments box to share.

Marlene

Marlene Anne Bumgarner writes primarily about food, families, and traditions. Her 2020 memoir, Back to the Land in Silicon Valley, is about raising children, animals, and vegetables on a rural plot of land in the 1970s.   Organic Cooking for (not-so-organic ) Families will be out in the spring. Her next project is a book about Grandparenting.