It hangs in a space right in front of the refridgerator, between the kitchen and the laundry room. Every month I post all of our activities, appointments, events, etc. Some times my family posts things too...but mostly it's me doing the planning.
Anyhow...with the end of August upon us and the beginning of school looming in the immediate future, I took some time Saturday morning to update the calendar to September. As I erased the old month away, I noticed myself hesitating and reading each entry before wiping it clean. As I removed one day after another, sending August into the past, I realized two things.
First, I realized how much we actually did. Doctor appointments, birthdays, dog sitting, rides to the airport, days off from work, dinners, taekwondo practice, and daisy meetings. I know we live very active, busy lives. I can feel the busyness throughout the days and weeks as I juggle and negotiate schedules. However, there is a sense of accomplishment one feels when reviewing all that one actually did in a given month or week.
The second thing I realized was that this ritual, of revisiting the days past right before wiping them away to make room for the new, is one more way of embracing the now. Those moments spent erasing the days really puts into perspective all that came before and all that is to come. In that moment, I feel grounded in the present, feeling a sense of accomplishment and a bit of nostalgia...while at the same time experiencing the wonderful anticipation that comes with knowing you have a whole month stretched before you, ripe with the possibilities of new experiences. It is during these "now" moments that I feel most blessed that I have life, health, and love.
Beautifully put Gail. I use the month to month calendars and when I look back at the year, I get the same feelings as you do, like "wow" ! Look at all we've done. I hate throwing away my calendars for just that reason.
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xx oo
I keep a monthly dry erase calender so everyone can know where to be at a certain time, but I also yearly day to day planner that I save. I use it for school and also to jot down little things that happen during the day, meal planning, birth's ect. I love to sit on New Year's day, fill out the new planner and read back over the past year. I guess in a way it is a family diary that I hope my children will enjoy reading one day.xx
ReplyDeleteWe have the exact same one ;o)
ReplyDeleteI also have a weekly right under it with a bit more details. I call it central command. I keep my monthly paper as a dairy of our life together.