June 8, 2010

A couple of mornings ago, I was impatiently waiting for the oven to preheat. I had a cast iron skillet with butter in it on the middle rack, getting hot enough to melt the butter and make the cornbread batter I had waiting, sizzle when I poured it in. That's key to getting that crispy, golden brown part on the outside. Mmmm.

Anyway, I am a person who is deeply committed to multi-tasking because I hate idly standing around wasting time when I could be doing something much more fun or interesting or even productive. And so, usually while the oven's heating, or even while some thing's on the stove, I am likely to head off to do something else, which usually results in forgetting what I was doing in the first place and a time or two I have actually burned things. My kids wouldn't be surprised at that statement.

It's not that I am impatient within the task, like with children or pets for example. Although some people's patience wears thin, I am pretty good in those circumstances because, to paraphrase Freud (or "Unknown", depending on the source), 'Time spent with (children or) cats, is never wasted.'  (Although, I am not sure waiting for a cat to decide whether to go in or go out is not a little bit of wasted time.) But this particular morning, I felt I would wait until I had at least put the cornbread in the oven before I went off and wrote a blog or something.

But as I was standing there waiting for the oven to hit 400, I noticed a button on the stove I hadn't seen before. I have had this stove for almost 4 years but never noticed you could "STOP TIME". And as I marveled at the fact that I was able to actually stop the Timer instead of waiting for it to run its course, I thought, there is a blog in there somewhere.

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I have been somewhat distracted and saddened lately because one of my classmates from high school is at the end of her struggle with cancer. I thought if I could just push that button and STOP TIME, perhaps that would give Pamela more time while they found a cure. Or if I could STOP TIME and give some of the older people in my life more time, or maybe I could STOP TIME long enough for the oil to be cleaned up in the gulf before anything else was damaged or destroyed.

Or, just for a simple thing this morning when I saw a rainbow as the sun rose, I thought to myself if I could STOP TIME just long enough to get the photo; and then maybe a little bit longer so it would still be there when 4 and 3/4 years old granddaughter Indigo, who spent the night, wakes up for breakfast. 

Or, even better, STOP TIME long enough for me to write a blog before 4 and 3/4 years old Indigo wakes up. No such luck as she and Maggie the cat are both up and continuously going in and out of the door as I write this. It seems they are having trouble deciding whether to go in or out.

But as I thought about it this morning, I don't think pushing a button to STOP TIME would be desirable in every situation. The parents, and grandparents, eagerly waiting the birth of a child wouldn't want me to push that button. I think of my cousin Liz's daughter Nicole and husband Dan, who are so excited and just can't wait for their first born.

Or, the loved ones of service men and women anxiously waiting for their tour to be over. I think of young Katie Kim's little sister, who says goodbye to her fiance Mark as he heads off to Iraq for 400+ days.

No, I don't think I want to STOP TIME after all. It's not a responsibility I would ever want to have. I guess we just have to let time go by and have faith that the One who is responsible brings us peace when we need it.

There are times though, like that moment when you look around and the sun is shining, you are next to someone you love and you say to yourself  "I could stay like this forever."

I hope you all have a moment like that at least once today.

Have a great day!
Love,
Suz