So Many Rabbit Trails...

Late last night I realized that almost every task I started this week seemed to lead me down three or four substantial and necessary rabbit trails. It reminded me of the book “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Numeroff.

A rabbit trail day might look something like this …

You start off doing one thing and need to do something else in order to finish the first thing, but you discover you need supplies for the secondary project, which leads to running other errands while you're out, stopping to get lunch, remembering you haven't planned something for dinner, which means a trip to the grocery store. When you're done at the store you decide to stop at the post office to mail some letters since it's on the way home. This reminds you that you need to pay a bill, but you're running low on checks, so you have to reorder, but you like to order from one of those online places with the cute checks and you end up browsing their website for way too long looking at all of the fun address labels, pretty file folders, and even some kitchen gadgets you don't really need. You come across an item that you think would make a great Christmas gift for a friend, which leads you to start thinking about all of the people you want to buy Christmas gifts for and you are reminded of a book you want to order for your mom, which you add to your online wish list. Meanwhile, the rest of the groceries you bought still need to be put away and dinner prep needs to be started. And on and on it goes…

When you stop to think about it, it’s pretty remarkable how very often life leads us on a circuitous route, isn't it? How much easier it would be if we could just take the direct path from point A to point B! However, just as the caterpillar must finish his journey through the chrysalis stage and struggle to free himself from his cocoon to become a healthy butterfly, these twists and turns and wanderings in everyday life can create beauty and strength as well.

Perhaps, like me, you find yourself at the end of the day feeling like the little boy from Family Circus wandering all over the house, yard, or neighborhood to accomplish the simplest of tasks. Instead of allowing frustration to creep in over the necessary detours in a day, we can find joy and celebrate the journey, perhaps even because of the unexpected twists and turns that inevitably come. 

Comments

[Buzzy]

You are so talented!