DAYDREAMING

The other day, Deanna, and I were discussing the fact that we find it very easy to waste time. We think we need routines and direction in our lives, but when we have them, we rebel against them. We mused that daydreaming about doing things was often much more enjoyable than actually following through with activities.

Sometimes we simply don't want to be so busy. There are times, especially after a hectic day, that we'd rather do nothing at all for a little while, but we don't want to have to deal with the guilt later. I shared thoughts about an article I'd read while in the allergist's office, about a wife and mother who "ran away from home" and stayed away for a whole week. She found a secluded area where she could relax in the summer breeze and lay in her recliner for hours with a book in her lap. She slept very little during her vacation because she was so excited to have time to herself she couldn't bear to waste it by sleeping. She spent a lot of time daydreaming and didn't feel a bit guilty. She felt energized and renewed.

When I think of daydreaming, I remember a moment in time when I was around five. My Grandma Lulu was visiting and took me outside to our front porch. She sat down on the glider and helped me onto her lap. She said we could find pictures in the clouds. I'd never heard of that, but I was ready to try. We found a bowl of ice cream, a car, and a blue lake in the clouds that day. We had fun daydreaming, and I surely didn't think we were wasting time. We made some very special memories.

Deanna said when she sits quietly, she feels she is being "passively creative". I love that phrase! From now on, when Spouse comes home from work, finds me sitting in the recliner (though it might be the only time I've paused during a busy day), and acts surprised, I will assure him I am being passively creative.

So remember . . . when we sit down to rest, contemplate, read, or daydream, we're not wasting time at all. Let's all be PASSIVELY CREATIVE!