Piles

I love piles.

Not the kind of piles I had to pick up tonight in my yard before mowing (twice in one week-what the heck?). I suppose I shouldn't whine about all the mowing since I did get out of shoveling snow this mild winter.

Speaking of Kirt being gone for sixteen weeks and finally coming home this weekend, I need to actually put sheets on the bed. I've been sleeping in my cocoon that I normally only reserve for hotel trips so I don't get heebie-jeebies from hotel sheets. That's probably a different blog when I know you better.

No, I'm actually thinking about how many piles I created in sixteen weeks without someone nagging me to go through them. Just a helpful hint-if you ask me to do something and I don't do it instantly, then it has gone into a pile (aka black hole).

Hike up Thunder Mountain when I should have been
organizing piles

I say I know what is in my piles, but I'm lying. Sorry. It's normally all the stuff I find tedious or had to move off the kitchen table for unexpected company and card playing.

So on one of the billion sunny days recently when my flesh had oozing sun sores (whatever happened to living in a rain forest), I started on my piles. It revealed to me a lot about my priorities. I tend to pile receipts and coupons thinking I will organize them better. There are piles of information about our stinking wireless account where I know all customer service representatives by first name and only touch that pile when I need to earn an indulgence for some horrifying sin I'm thinking of committing.

I also found $100 in checks and a picture of an adorable child whose identity is a mystery. Warranties and anything about electronics go into a pile. Magazine subscription information that I'm sure will make me a better person go into the same pile as the magazines that haven't even made it to the rack in the bathroom yet.

I look at these piles and all the things that I think I will get around to and realize I will never get around to them. They normally end up in the recycler and I do fine without them. The $100 was a fun discovery, but nothing else earth shattering.

I'll still pile stuff so don't imagine this is a major lifestyle changer, but it did make me take stock of my priorities.

My priorities:
1. Tending relationships. Being in right relationship with people, God, myself, creation is my top priority. If I get out of whack in my relationships, then everything else falls apart.

2. Finding joy. I try to balance the tedious responsibility of sustaining life with humor, gratitude, and moments of spontaneous wildness. I love my work, my family, where I live, our friends, and a million other things around me so I try to make sure I keep appreciating those things that bring me joy even when responsibility is weighing heavily on me.

3. Being healthy. Eating right and staying active are vital to me along with paying my bills, keeping commitments, and growing in my thinking. Hiking and playing will often trump housework and organizing. I've yet to hear someone say on her deathbed that she wished she spent more time cleaning house.

I realize I  don't need more stuff or paperwork for any of my priorities. That's a good check in for me. I'm pretty sure I didn't recycle anything too vital, but if you are waiting to hear my response on something, you might want to send it again.

Did I mention my husband is coming home this weekend? I hope the excitement over the lack of piles will make him overlook all the dead plants.