Celebration Saturday is here! I am happy Ruth Ayres started this tradition. It makes me stop every Saturday and think about the week in a positive way. Yesterday Ruth wrote:
I think too busy means I’m missing real life. Too busy means I’m swept up by the current panic or the flashy trend.
Too busy means I’m surviving.
Life should be more than survival.
Because when we are trapped in survival, it is too easy to believe we can’t do anything powerful or meaningful or worthy. It is too easy for the day to wrap around us and to feel like the only choice is to react
Life should be more than reaction.
I’m wondering if the way to step over (or maybe to step on) too busy, is to find the celebration.
Her words spoke to me because I feel I went into the panic mode last week and began the crazy mantra that I’m too busy. Her words made me stop. OK, breathe and look around you for things to celebrate.
Last night I made Tortilla Soup. That is something to celebrate, time to cook and time for soup!
The air has gotten cooler. The flowers in my front flower bed opened up to this cool air. They remind me every morning to open up to the air and see the light.
Brooklyn celebrated her 12th birthday yesterday. I brought sprinkle donuts and satsumas. She brought homemade chocolate chip cookies. We took a break from all our writing to celebrate Brooklyn. I gave her a journal. She waved it at me and said, “You gave me the gift of writing!”
Before we took the break, V. was writing at the computer. She saw the google doodle and played with the changing ink blots. She announced, “I see a cat with wings.”
I said, “You should write a poem about the cat with wings.”
She got up and threw herself on the pillows in the reading center exclaiming, “I can’t take all this writing!” Hilarious. I had to take her picture.
What are you celebrating this week? Take a moment to stop, breathe in the cooler air, and celebrate your life.
Reflections on the Teche 
I love all the little parts that you are breathing in, Margaret. I can see how you would panic from last weekend because you have been busy with all those extra things going on. Hope you can settle in now and smell the ‘purple flowers’ (don’t know what they are, but they are lovely)!
I think the flowers are lantana. Whatever they are, they are hardy. I am not good at gardening. This weekend I am trying to relax and get out of panic mode. It’s crazy how we can let it take over.
Giving the gift of writing…it doesn’t get any better than that! Unless it is the gift of reading which is just as wonderful!
Love your celebrations. I also felt and wrote about the “panic mode” this week. Isn’t funny how so many share the same things and when we stop and celebrate, we know we are not alone!
Thank you, Margaret. I’m glad me words touched you. That post took me a long time to write. I’m happy that it impacted others.
Thanks for sharing a few glimpses into your world. I love how you are filling days with writing for your students. 🙂
Shine on,
Ruth
I love your pics for this celebration. It’s a good thing that we find inspiration to switch off the panic mode.
I am so glad you wrote this–I think I have been in panic mode for a few weeks and Ruth’s post spoke to me too. I slowed down and breathed this week and the week was better for everyone–me, my family, the kids in our classroom… Love all of the things you noticed when you stopped to breathe:-)
Your post reminds me of a quote from Lily Tomlin that I may have to use for my slice this week. I too was touched by Ruth’s post. I like the idea of stepping on too busy by finding celebrations in our lives.
Seems like lots of us are in panic mode right now. And yet the words that keep running through my head, endlessly, are that last few lines of an Eve Merriam poem, “It takes a lot of slow to grow!” I think that’s true for adults and kids. Glad you are making that time in your days!