Slow Down

Summer makes me miss being young.  Last night, we rode home from the fair with the windows down and it really took me back to the days when we cruised town.  Days when we took the time to just hang out with friends.  Driving down to the river for a pig roast.  Sitting around in someone’s backyard, just wasting the day.  Youth. 
But is it my youth I’m missing?  Honestly, I don’t want to go back to that time.  It had it’s hassles and frustrations.  Youth was bad choices and uncertainty.   Youth was life lived on hold, waiting to be recognized as adults.  No, I don’t want to return to those years.
So what is it that I miss.  With a life so full, how could I be missing anything? 
Somewhere in the craziness of raising all the babies and making a home, I’ve let myself get too busy doing all the things that need to be done.  The weight of all the undone things on my list fills me with anxiety.  I rush around, trying to keep up while the world keeps spinning.  Somehow, I just don’t get around to doing the really important things, like playing tag in the yard and spending time visiting the people we love. 
There is so much pressure to stay busy.  We have church programs we like to attend and help with.  We have activities we want the kids to be involved in.  We have a to-do list about a half a mile long on the side of the refrigerator.  There is always something I can’t say no to.  Before I know it, my calendar has something on every day of the week and I am feeling overwhelmed.
So, I’m going to give myself permission to slow down the pace a little bit.  I want to be able to spread a blanket in the yard and look at the stars.  I want to catch fireflies with my kids.  I want to make grilled pizza for friends.  I want to drop by mom’s house more often.  I want to sit on the porch swing and read a good book.  I want to go see a movie at the drive-in-theater with my honey and act like we are 20 again. 
I want less stuff (also known as worthless crap) to take care of and fewer things on the schedule.  I still want to work and work hard, because I like it.  I just want to get the priorities in line so that we also have time that isn’t programmed or taken by the to-do list. 
Slow down. 
My little brother told me the other day that he’s in the sweet tea sippin’ part of his life.  Sounds pretty good to me.  No, I don’t want to be young again.  I just want to work hard and then have the time left over to do the things that really matter.
How ‘bout you?  What do you think?  How do you slow down?  What are you missing?  What’s on your “un-to-do list?” 
Feel free to share in the comments.  :)