Monday, September 15, 2014

Autumn Tasks

My roommate started the annual pruning of the trees/bushes today. Normally, this activity is met with a lot of trepidation on my part, because I know I have to help clear the branches and brambles that have been cut away. It's hard work. It's hot, messy, tiring work. Interestingly enough, this year, I'm not really all that anxious about it. Yes, I know it will be hard. Yes, I know I will get tired and frustrated and exhausted from it.

However, I just can't get upset about it. For one thing, I'm in far better shape than I have been in years.  Part of me is wondering if I'm overestimating my own abilities right now, but I honestly think I can handle the work far better than I could in the past. I think every aspect of this (bending, lifting, walking, dragging) are all far more within my grasp than they have been in years past.

And I've noticed when you aren't so anxious about the physical difficulty of something, your mind begins to be rational about the actual task at hand. Clearing the cast offs takes us a few days, but not weeks on end. It isn't a never ending task that will consume the rest of my life. At most, we spend a few hours doing it in the morning and a few in the evening for like three or four days. That's all.

Most of all, after everything I've been through this year, I'm mostly just damned happy and grateful to be alive to GET to do this task. There were times when that wasn't really a certainty. I'm here though. I lived through All The Things. I get to help with the yard and see another autumn. This is a great blessing.

We'll review this post when I'm actually in the process of doing this work.

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