Doing Instead of Fretting

October 23, 2011

Doing Instead of Fretting

The sight of the first frost of the season on the roof tops today reminded me just how fast time goes by. It seems like summer was just here and now it is almost the end of October.

Though I try to stay in and enjoy the present I am often guilty of dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. The tug of war between the past and the future is where the stress begins. I don't like it when I am fretting about the future. I don't want to miss what is in front of me right now.

When this feeling comes over me I know the best thing for me to do is to DO something. A task; something that will have a tangible outcome.

Rake rake rake, dig dig dig. Much the same as weeding this is physical work that gives me lots of time to think things through (i.e. therapy). I raked up the leaves (9 bags!) and finally got to extending the existing front garden bed and creating the new one. I dug up the sod and turned it over so that during the winter the grass will die and the earth will be ready for planting in the spring.

Now instead of fretting about what has been and what might be, I can dream about all the wonderful things I can plant there in the spring... daylillies, hollyhocks, foxgloves, daisies....