Stop the glorification of busy.

You might have heard the term being thrown around for awhile now; it's something that has been catching my attention for quite some time. After plans were cancelled on me this evening, I did something that normally doesn't happen in my life - ever. I went home before sundown. As I lay on my bed, watching the sunset over my beautiful city, I came to my blog and noticed that I haven't even written a post this year. We are 4 months into the year, and not a single word. My first thought was "oh, I've been so busy."

Well, I want to stop the glorification of busy in my life. Today. Right now.

To be busy means to have a lot going on, to be occupied. And in this day and age, we all know that's the truth. Between a hardworking career, planning a family, being a wife, spending time with loved ones, learning a second language, being a Godmother, exercising, church, reaching out to others, being an active member in a community, and finding time to centre myself... I have a lot going on, I'm occupied. But I don't want to be busy.

Busy, I think, is such a hurtful word. When spoken out loud from others, it implies that we are unworthy of that person's time. It's a word that I am making a conscious effort to limit in my vocabulary, particularly in the classroom. Since being aware of the glorification of busy, I have noticed that I often say to my children, "please talk to me in a moment, I'm busy just now," when I am with another child or adult. The message I'm sending is, "I don't have time for you right now - I'm giving it to someone more worthy." I still haven't quite figured out the answer to this one, so in the meantime, my only solution is to hold their hand, in acknowledgement of their request for my time, until I am able to give them my undivided presence and attention.

Today, April 27th 2016, I am committing to try to stop the glorification of busy in my life. To just be. And when others come to me, to be available to them with my time, with my love and with my presence.

It's not about having time, it's about making time.

"There's only one thing more precious than our time, and that's who we spend it on."
- Leo Christopher