[2020-11-08] Today
Ottawa reached 21.3°C today, setting a new record for the warmest November 8, a record that had stood since 1938. It was a splendid day, and I took advantage of it: in the morning, I took separate walks with my daughter and husband, and in the afternoon, I had a physically distanced visit in the park behind my house with my mom, sister, youngest brother and niece. Mixed in with my time outside was time in the kitchen, making bread and muffins with my daughter and supper with my husband. And what's homemade food without lots of dishes? I did plenty of that today too.
And so, at 6:00 p.m., when I would normally be sending out the blog post I had drafted after breakfast and polished up at suppertime, I found myself sitting down for the first time to reflect on my day.
The overriding thought that came to mind is how lucky I am to have the strength to do what I'm doing and the time to do it. I know that if I were working at my job—rather than simply working at life—I would have neither the strength nor the time for anything but work. And I would not be focused on the present. I would be thinking about the future and all the things I needed to get done, personally and through my team, in the days and weeks ahead. Or I would be focused on the past, remembering all the things left undone because there weren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything.
This brought to mind the saying "working to live or living to work." For many years, I've been in the latter category: my life was work, as opposed to a way to make a living so that I could do the things that really brought me joy. While work has always brought me joy, I will admit that I let it become the focus of my life. That imbalance occurred gradually over multiple years, much as I imagine my cancer occurred gradually over multiple years. My story is a cautionary tale against letting one's life get out of balance.
Perhaps my questioning whether I am making the right choices about where I spend my time is a silver lining of dealing with cancer. I expect to come through this health challenge with a new perspective on life and my priorities.
I received many beautiful responses to last night's post, including people's lists of the things they most like doing. Baking something for people who can no longer bake. Chatting and laughing with adult children. Listening to music. Recording music (including Kenny Loggins' "House at Pooh Corner"). "[E]njoying magnificent things like the heartbeat of my daughter when I give her a hug or watching somebody I love eat." Surrounding oneself with good books. "Laying down flat on my back on my dock at our cottage and taking in the 10+ shades of green that I can see in the trees."
One of the most touching replies recounted this exchange between Winnie-the-Pooh and his friend Piglet.
"What day is it?" asked Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.
Today was a terrific day. A record-setting temperature. Quality time with family. Great food. An example of focusing on today and taking a step toward a better balance.
