Busy Signal

While I sit here reluctantly waiting to heal, I am struck at how our society navigates.  We are all so busy. Busy….busy….busy.  What exactly are we busy doing?   Yes, there are jobs, families, obligations, but when did we stop being human beings?   When did we think what we were doing was more important than a few seconds of reaching out to someone?

When I was growing up, we didn’t have call waiting, so the sound on the other end was either a pleasant ring or the annoying busy signal.    I remember the feeling I had when I heard that sound.   Especially, when I wanted to get a hold of that person immediately.  It was as if time stood still and I literally was holding my breath.   You can only imagine the relief I had when call waiting was introduced.

Healing is like watching paint dry…..it is a slow and often lonely process.   Fortunately, I have a team of supporters who have kindly taken the time to visit, cook, drive, and listen to my struggles as I navigate the process.   Truth be told, I didn’t sign up for the type of surgery I had.  As I have shared, I was anticipating a breezy surgery with a quick recovery similar to my previous surgery.   Of course, unrealistic expectations are dangerous and I am learning that this process isn’t for sissies.

What I am grateful for the most is while there is a lot of things going on in other people’s lives, they have taken the time to reach out even if it is just a text to see how I am.   I acknowledge that there are many who really feel their lives are too complicated and overwhelming to extend themselves.   It is a true lesson to me that I don’t want to be a person whose busy life interferes with what is most important……relationships, connections, friends, and the list goes on.   What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t lead by example?    I am never too busy for the people in my life.    When people need me, I want to be able to be there for them.  This is what life brings to the table.   No one cares about how busy you are, they just want to know you care enough to reach out….even if it is a simply text.