Today I was poking around the pantry and came upon a vial of grapefruit essential oil I bought a few months ago at Whole Foods. Back then, I was using a grapefruity shower gel and realized how much I loved the smell. I'd bought the essential oil to dab onto light bulbs, so that when they heated up they'd let off the scent (I read that somewhere, I do not instinctively know this stuff). I put some on one bulb once, and that was it.
I had a little epiphany as I stood there in front of the pantry, the grapefruit oil staring me in the face: I have not been savoring life enough. I mean really savoring it. I am so busy and distracted that I neglect or literally forget to do things I consider pleasurable. It's like I'm steering a shopping cart through life—kids, work, chores, therapeutic stuff for Max, and other must-dos piled up inside—and taking barely any breaks to cruise in a convertible with the top down. Not that I own a convertible.
While I'm sure this is true for many moms, as a mom of a kid with special needs, I've got a whole lot more piled inside my shopping cart.
These are the things that I would love to savor more of:
• Curling up on our big fat armchair with a good book. Oh, and spending time at the library picking said book. Half the fun is in the find.
• Crocheting. I've mentioned before that I've been crocheting a granny-square blanket for Sabrina for two years now. I've done maybe 14 squares. That's seven squares per year, not a great average.
• Baking. I was in Macy's a couple weeks ago and saw this Martha Stewart tea cake pan that was incredibly inspirational. I am not 100 percent sure what a tea cake is, but it's definitely little and cute.
• Playing piano. I stopped after Max was born. We have a Kawai upright that's mainly used for banging (by the kids, not me). I learned by the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes learning by listening and repetition. My mom would play records of classical music, and then when I'd sit down to play the pieces at the piano I could more or less sound them out and not be reliant on note-reading. As a result, I suck at note reading, but I'm not half bad at playing.
• Dancing. Any kind—at clubs, ballroom dancing, jazz, ballet, you name it. Dave, he of the White Man Shuffle, is not all that into it. It would be very cool to take a salsa or tango class with some (hot) instructor.
• Traveling. Before we had kids, Dave and I got around. It would be amazing to go someplace foreign with the kids. I think next summer they might be up for it; I'm going to look into renting a place in Italy or France or anyplace with good cheese, which I am sure they will appreciate.
• Photography. I adore taking photos of the kids (in case you hadn't noticed). I'd love to have more time to shoot scenery and portraits. A good friend recently suggested I become a kiddie photographer specializing in children with special needs, an incredible idea. It would take some doing, given that the very fancy, sophisticated camera I use is a Sony Cyber-Shot 10.1. I don't think I've ever seen a photographer using an idiot camera.
Well, those are the things that spring to mind. What's on your list of things you'd like to savor more of?
istock photo/David Sucsy
