The Cheerio Effect

Busy being busy – a list a mile long,

Filled with heroic, meaningless tasks,

An illusion that I was strong.

Able to blitz with the best of them,

Don’t mess with the Queen of Cross-offs,

Driven, accomplished, reluctant to stop,

All the while miscalculating the cost.

Days filled with detailed to do’s,

Arguably some had their prominent place,

But since fun rarely made the critical cut,

I was competing in an exhausting race.

One without a finish line,

Or a crowd to cheer me through,

Because I lived to serve the list,

Little time was made for the few.

Who were entrusted to my hard-working hands,

To learn how to manage the clock,

To choose what matters above all else,

To open doors when opportunity knocks.

Soon enough the few did move,

To build lists and lives of their own.

Leaving a clean nest and me with regret,

As my younglings had predictably flown.

Time lost to lists that did not allow,

Enough play time to offset the pace.

Oh, how I wish I could turn back the clock,

To recapture a timeless embrace.

As nature would have it, I do get a chance.

To finally set the order straight.

So when they come back, I am ready to laugh,

Making sure time with my grands is great.

And as they leave, I look around,

Pleased with the “played with” mess.

Knowing I gave them precious time,

Thankful for having been blessed.

Then once in awhile I am lucky to find,

A Cheerio hidden in full view.

This has the effect of filling my heart,

And keeping me wholesomely true.

Such a tiny treasure,

That I safely bury in my core.

It is food for my soul, a circle of love,

Leaving my full heart hungry for more.

So cheers to the wayward Cheerio,

It speaks to the real me,

Fun and funny with priorities clear,

Delighted to be list-free.