Stardate : 2 days after holiday
I had an incredibly hard time getting out of bed this morning. I hit the snooze button twice before Bunny Dog jumped up and shnuffled me in the ear. (A shnuffle in the ear could wake a sleeping dinosaur - so I got the message).It's quite chilly in Brussels today which doesn't help my mood. The overwhelming feeling that what I do for a living provides me a comfortable and secure life, but does nothing to feed my soul.
Do we all go through these questions after holidays? Do we ask ourselves if we are making a difference in the world? Is it common end-of-holiday-itis or is it something bigger?
I am sure it's a little of both. There's got to be some chemical change that occurs in a body that is allowed to sleep until it naturally wakes for 10 days in a row after months of early starts, hard work, travel weariness and late nights. And when forced to return to the spinning wheel, the body resists, repels and refuses to work properly. - End-of-holiday-itis.
The something bigger is that there's still people suffering all over the world and I am sitting here in my Brussels office doing work someone invented and I will in turn make more work for someone else and so on. Yeah, I have to pay my bills.
But what can I do to make a difference?
In fact there's a lot I can do.
1. Pray.
Recently, Bunny Dog had gone over to investigate an escalator and had clipped his paw. My vet was on holiday so his back-up vet had to see my dog. He lived out of town - in the countryside - so he made a house call. (Yes, a house call) When I asked him what I should do for my dog's on-going treatment he said. 'Pray'. Of course, I was quite alarmed. Was my dog in such bad shape that I had to pray? He then proceeded to tell me that he had been in hospital for 6 months a few years ago suffering from a brain tumour. He told of these friends who stood by him and made every day a normal, cheerful day during the worst of his illness. When he later asked them how they could be so positive and supportive, they said it was because they knew he would be fine. They had prayed for him to be fine. And he was. To him, it was their praying that helped him through. He told me right then and there. 'Never underestimate the power of prayer,- and your dog is fine - it's only a little cut and he'll be back to normal tomorrow'. No matter where we are, no matter what time of day or night, it can't hurt to send a prayer someone's way. I am very conscious of prayer right now because Dad is ill, but let's not forget to pray for the not-so serious stuff also. Pray for the good stuff that's been sent our way.
2. Follow-through
I have two large plastic sacks of clothing in my closet up in the loft at home. So totally ridiculous... I am embarrassed. These are clothes I sorted out of all my closets to send to the victims of the Pakistani earthquake. People who would go hungry cold and alone through the harshest of winters. I managed to get the clothes sorted, made sure they were clean and useful and sorted by colour and fabric and ready to go. Then I did nothing. Just sort of let it go.. I missed the boat (or plane actually). I had even contacted local organisations who were gathering clothing and doing the tough part - getting the donations in to the hands of those who need them. And I screwed up. Next time, I won't let that happen. I will follow-through and make the effort. For crying out loud, that's the easy part. And I'll bet my bottom dollar (euro) that I won't feel so useless after the next holiday. Because you know what? I won't be.
3. Make Contact
I will make sure to send people a quick note or an e-mail reminding them that I am thinking about them. Just a sign from me that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth and that I haven't forgotten those I love and care about. It's seems so silly, but we don't do this nearly enough. Smile at people you pass in the street, wave at people in shops that you see everyday, but never speak to. Say 'hello' to the old biddy who always cuts in front of you at the bakery. Call friends who are going through a tough divorce and listen to them vent.
4. Make the most of everything
When you have a chance to - sit and contemplate, relax and breathe deeply, listen to the sound of your child's breathing (or dog's :-)), watch the trees blow around in the wind, feel the humidity rise in to thunderclouds, smell your skin after sitting in the sun, watch a caterpillar cross the garden, hug your best friend, buy yourself or someone you love flowers for no reason at all, take long walks with no destination in mind, lie in a field and look at the stars, get up early to spend time with yourself over a cup of coffee or to really watch your kids wake with sleepy grins, you know...live.
There's so much more. But as I do have to make a living somehow, I had better concentrate on work. It does make me feel better though to remind myself that I can make a difference in some small way. It helps to realise that even though I am back on the hamster wheel, I can feel part of the global world, meaningful and worthwhile.
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 9:16 AM
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