I don’t know about anyone else, but I have had this strange sense of urgency all summer. I have WAY over-scheduled house projects as though I’m getting our home ready for a segment on “Beautiful Homes TV” or something. I’ve become almost obsessed with getting everything done before winter.
It has bugged me for years that when we bought this place, we couldn’t do much with it right away because of the decline and subsequent deaths of my parents, who lived out of state. We spent years flying to the East Coast—monthly for an entire year, in fact—just managing all that comes with helping parents transition, and dealing with the disposition of their estate. As a result, our house has been in a state of disarray for more than five years.
Well, apparently this summer, I decided to make up for lost time! Between major purging (including a 10-yard, roll-off dumpster full), a ton of tree mitigation, yard work, deck work, a new Tuff Shed, garage reorganization (still ongoing), upcoming driveway work, and the final section of Hardie Board siding and new windows on the east side of the house, we are finally ticking off many years’ worth of projects.
But here’s the thing: I’ve been wondering if this intense urgency to get it all done this summer is really about something else. Maybe I’m trying to create a fall and winter that will be completely restorative—for my mind as well as my body.
I have long relished fall and winter for so many reasons: My allergies subside and I can take a break from Allegra. I get to pull out all my cozy clothes—the soft, flowing, warm things that feel like wearing a blanket. There are fireplaces glowing, golden afternoon sunlight blanketing the landscape and, of course… FOOTBALL! More than anything, though, fall and winter seem to signal permission to slow down, savor things and relax after the busyness of summer.
Speaking of busyness, I’ve noticed something else while out and about this summer. This intense compulsion to check things off the list—to accomplish perhaps way too many things in one year—seems to be pervasive. Friends, associates and even strangers I’ve encountered seem to have their own version of “Gotta get it done!” Whether it’s home projects, kids’ activities, medical procedures, trips, or any number of other things, everyone seems to be in a hurry to get life in perfect order.
It’s almost as if, after the long COVID years when the world came to a standstill, we collectively decided it was time to wake up and get back to life. But at a dizzying pace. People seem to be in a hurry everywhere—in their cars, online and in stores. There seems to be less time for pleasantries and, sometimes, considerably less patience.
Maybe it’s the stress of taking on too much at once, like I did. Whatever the reason, I sure hope we can all settle down for a long winter’s nap—as the phrase from “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” goes. I certainly intend to!
