For Today: May 1st

A little madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King.

Emily Dickenson

Life is real and earnest and serious. Isn’t it? It depends on how you look at it. Sometimes I have a tendency to get too serious, especially about how busy I am, how important it is to take care of every single item on my schedule within the next few hours.

A woman once told her group that she had awakened one Saturday and, as was her habit, began making a mental list of all the things she intended to do that morning. Suddenly, she decided to write down each item. When she finished, both sides of a legal-size sheet of paper were covered with a list of chores that would have taken several days of nonstop work to accomplish.

I, too, have found that being too serious can make me totally unrealistic.

For today: Spring fever doesn’t necessarily come according to the calendar, but if it pops up I may well consider indulging in a little wholesome “madness” of my choosing.

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Quite frequently, I find myself obsessing over something trivial…..like some dirty dishes in the sink or some other small imperfection around the house. I then have to remind myself how unimportant these matters are, in reality. What IS important is my peace of mind and my program.  I can’t take every iota of life too seriously or I will risk my abstinence by demanding perfection. 

If I don’t feel like attending my OA meeting on Tuesday evening after a long day at work, I remind myself that I CAN spare ONE HOUR for the spiritual boost I get from that group!  I pray to never consider myself ‘too busy’ to give back during one of those amazing meetings. 

If I am too busy for a meeting, how far am I from being too busy to stick to my Food Plan? Or too busy to get on my knees and thank God for another day of abstinence?

For me, I have to prioritize my LIFE, not my chore list. When I let go and let God, and stay true to myself and to Him by doing the footwork involved in the program, the chores take a backseat to my peace of mind & serenity.

This is as it SHOULD be; this is as God wants it; and this is the best way for me. I thank God for that realization.