Consult the Magic Eight Ball

I have been working a lot these past few weeks. It is apparent in the way my calendar is a sea of scribbles. It is apparent in the fact that I am going to do seven loads of laundry today... but it is most apparent in the face of my eight-year old daughter McKenzie.

Last night I worked into the evening with a woman who was expecting a short notice visit from her mother. I didn't get into the achieveorder mobile until after 7pm and then I headed home to my family. I wasn't out of the car before I heard the voices of my girls shouting "Mama, mama, MAMA!" It is a very good thing that I have a great husband who can do the "Mr.Mom" thing quite well. (Without him I would be much less than I am.)

This morning McKenzie consulted the advice of her friend Eva's Magic Eight Ball. I overheard them talking at the front door waiting for the bus .... " Will my mom stop working soon and just stay home with me?" (UGH! My heart.) Much to McKenzie's delight, the ball advised "most certainly true". There is truth in wisdom of Eva's Eight Ball. The challenge for me is to do what I enjoy (organizing) without it taking over and bumping out what I REALLY love (my family).

I am sure some of you have been there.

Circle of Ladies

I had the delightful opportunity to be in a circle of ladies the other night for a discussion group. I was asked to be there to talk about Spring organizing but I wanted to try something new. They were invited to bring their junk drawers along as an interactive story sharing experience. The talking point - what is in your junk drawer... and tell a story about it.

You never know that will happen when you open the time to free-flow sharing. The chemistry of some groups allow of deep sharing while others... don't...

What an honor it was to be with a group who could share... on many levels. Stories of people, places and events peppered the conversation. The junk made us laugh and even made us sit silently in the presence of tears.

What is in your junk drawer... who/what/when comes to mind...?

Shoes

I have been working in a home where the father recently passed away. His adult daughter and I have been working on a few organizing projects around the house. Yesterday I was loading my van with a number of things to go to Goodwill. Normally I place the items in the van without thinking too much about it.

Laying out on the lawn were three pairs of his shoes. I stood there for a few moments - unable to gather them into a bag. I looked at them and thought about all the steps they had taken - with both joy and regret. Even though I never met the father, there was something deeply personal about the shoes. It seemed like an unkind act to throw them in the pile with the rest of the donations.

Isn't it odd what strikes us about a person once they are gone.