Work? Play?

When given a bit of down time I am always ALWAYS torn between relaxing and getting something productive done. There is a work ethic that basically says something to the effect....get your work done first so you can enjoy the rest of your day. The problem is, work is never ever done. We can always find something to do, start on the project we have been putting off, finish that project we have been postponing...regardless, there is never a time where anyone can just sit down and say, "Wow, I am done....with absolutely everything!"

So, especially during the holidays, I find it hard but necessary to put most work aside. There is a rare occasion that someone absolutely needs to see a house for sale the days surrounding Christmas. I would hope most people are not sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for me to post another Blog entry. (How ironic that I am writing one now, eh?) I chose, years ago, that the time right before, during, and right after Christmas was going to be dedicated to spending time with my family and friends. I would politely tend to emails requesting real estate information and I would post a Blog entry that would satisfy anyone who came across my various websites.

The holidays are a time that we need to reflect on why it is we work so hard all year. If we waited until all the work was done to spend time with friends and family we would never see them: never have those silly conversations with our kids about what screwballs WE were growing up, never find out how small the world is when having a conversation with neighbors, or never watch the classic and not-so-classic holiday specials with Jimmy Stewart and Will Ferrell.

So, as I sit here typing, I am not doing it becasue I have to, I am doing it because my family is still sleeping as the sun is halfway up the sky. They will wake sometime before lunchtime and we will hang in our pajamas deciding if we need to acutally be productive today. In the end, we may end up cleaning up a bit, doing a load of laundry, or maybe even turing on a vacuum, but we will still be in our pajamas and still be together.

I will say that at some point I will have to buckle down and get cracking, I put in my hard work right after Thanksgiving so I could have this down time. I am prepared to take on the new year. Until then, I live on leftovers and take-out, lounging in my new pajamas surrounded by a bit of dust bunnies and dog hair, and maybe some stray pine needles from the tree, enjoying the time with those I love.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!