Autumn in these parts has been dreary. After a very hot, dry Summer, most of October has been rainy and dark; my mood along with it. An empty teacup sits nearby, drained of the Spiced Chai I’ve come to rely on to help with desk work and deadlines of many an afternoon. My friend and colleague Father Michael likes to remind me that I whine about “First World problems.” He’s right.
But recently, I ran across a journal article suggesting that compiling an occasional inventory of habits, practices and products that keep one balanced is a good idea. So, in no particular order, I began to list those things I think I need to maintain: prayer, physical exercise, coffee, time with friends, time alone, meaningful work, laughter, wine, learning, travel, time with family, writing, reading, hope, illumination, time outdoors, a safe and comfortable home, opportunities to help, the surprise of wonder. On review, this does seem like the list of a privileged woman, and I meet that realization with both guilt and gratitude.
There have been times in my life when I’ve felt that I “needed” much more; along with times when I’ve felt that I needed much less, and as this partly-composed list reveals: the “best” things in life … aren’t things.
A few copses of brilliantly-hued trees remain leafed out here. Most are shedding a carpet that will protect what’s underneath it for the Winter. There’s less and less sunlight each day, and like our landscape, what we might “need” changes with the seasons, and the seasons of our lives.
What are your non-negotiables right now?