The times of life

We recently had guests over, and I took the (somewhat rare, these days) opportunity to use some of our actual serving pieces (rather than serving crackers from the box and dip from the container).  This particular set was a gift from one of my former (adult) piano students.  She made it herself!  To this day, it is one of the most unique and thoughtful gifts I have received.

As I was putting these pieces away after our gathering, a flood of emotions washed over me.  My mind was taken right back to the time in life when they were given to me.  I do not say this lightly; I'm not one to speak in hyperbole, often, but truly - I was feeling so many things at once and could so vividly remember that time in my life, tears of gratitude sprung to my eyes.

A time when I was teaching 50+ lessons a week and received so, so many generous gifts from my students and their families - not only during Christmastime, but also teacher appreciation week, as well as random treats, pictures, and notes throughout the year.

A time when I could not imagine not remembering all of my students' names, favorite stickers, their go-to Halloween candy, etc.

A time when my schedule was my own, my space was my own, and my laundry was (only) my own.

A time when I could stay out and sleep in late, travel on a whim, and carry nothing but phone/keys/wallet, if I so chose.

When a meal I cooked would do leftovers for a week.

When the house (coop) stayed clean for days on end.

When I did not know what was yet to come.

Presently, my season of life feels very far away from that (^) time, and yet, it was only ten years ago.  Time is so strange.  A blink and a lifetime, all at once.

Do I sometimes miss the freedom, spontaneity, and solitude of that season?  Yes.  Does that mean I do not value, appreciate, and relish in my current season?  No.  

Am I proud of all I used to do?  Yes.  Am I proud of what I do, now?  Also, yes.  

Do many friends and acquaintances I have met in this most recent season of life know about my past season(s)?  No.  I am thankful for those friends and this season, all the same?  Absolutely.  There is so, so much to be thankful and grateful for during this time in my life.

A time when I have the ability to continue teaching piano lessons, even if it is in small amounts, and the privilege of teaching my children.

A time when, while I struggle to remember every single student I have taught, I get to keep in touch with a handful of special former students and exchange Christmas cards with their families.

A time when not only do I get to develop relationships with my current students (and their families), but so does my family.

A time when we get to tag along on a business trip with my husband, and my son enthusiastically insists on taking a "movie night kit" gift from one of my current students, facilitating these memories:

We obviously haven't popped a bag of popcorn in their memory...much less in a microwave at their level. ♥

A time when while I do not know what is yet to come, I do know it will be different, and I also know it will be just as wonderful as it always has been.

Nostalgically,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

dark-chocolate drizzled kettle corn

mom dates

having the house to myself for 24+ hours

Margin

I'm writing to you during a time that is listed on my calendar as "hobby time," which is something the cool kids these days would refer to as "margin."

This word, "margin," began showing up very prevalently in my life several weeks ago following a conversation my husband and I had about needing to make time during the week for us as individuals to do things we want to do.  We had kind-of made a plan to implement this, and then, "margin" started showing up everywhere.  The concept came up in sermons I heard and conversations I had.  It was discussed on almost every podcast I listen to, both new episodes and ones I was catching up on, and even mentioned by name on a couple.  Then, we started a worship team Bible study; the title?  "Margin."  I couldn't believe it.  I thanked God over and over for such clarity.  This message He was trying to convey was coming through more clearly than any of recent memory.

While it may be a sort of buzzword these days, and therefore, might seem fleeting like most trends, I think the concept of "margin" is very important.  Creating time for your own enjoyment, personal development, hobbies, whatever it may be, can allow your brain to be used in a different way, your heart to be opened, your mind to be cleared, and your body (and dare I say, your soul) to be refreshed.  Taking this time for yourself can allow you to reconnect with yourself, which in turn, can lead to better/stronger connections with those around you.

I realize this all might sound a little lofty or unrealistic.  Me saying, "Take time to find yourself!" "Find some quiet space in your life!" "Do what you love!" might conjure thoughts of a girl in a sunny field of wildflowers with her face to the sun, a yogi in child's pose, or a leather chair and warm beverage, and you're rolling your eyes.  You're thinking, "Yeah right.  Who has time for that?!"  There are certainly circumstances and seasons in life that seemingly make any downtime or spare moments impossible.  Whether it's a matter of time, money, lack of childcare, whatever - this idea of "margin" can feel unattainable for many.

However...

I've heard many times that you make time for the things you value most.  I've read articles about the fact that we spend so much of our time doing things we don't actually need to spend time doing.  Statistics show our screen time is off the charts.  People are often heard saying, "I'm so busy!" and "I'm too busy!" and having to start saying no's, because they've said too many yes's.

It wasn't necessarily easy for us to find this "margin" time in our what-we-thought-was-already-pretty-full weekly schedule; it took some thought, effort, and a little trial-and-error.  We've made it work, though, and are better for it!  We are able to spend time doing the things that somehow got pushed completely off the "to-do" list by the more pressing items (By the way, it's still really difficult for me to not use "necessary," rather than "pressing" in that context.  I'm still working on defining the things I want to do as necessary; to put "self care" in the "necessary" category; to prioritize myself right up there with everyone else.).  We each get to spend a little time each week doing something that will refresh and recharge us.

So far, my personal margin time has been spent differently each week: I've gone bargain shopping with coupons in hand (one of my favorite things to do).  I've watched shows (at home in the guest room with doors closed - haha).  I've spent time stamping and organizing my stamping supplies (both things I enjoy).  And, as may be obvious, I've written blog posts!

My husband's "margin" time has also looked different each week and always looks very different from my own, because we're different people with different personalities and interests.  This is not to say that we don't enjoy spending time together.  Nor has this "margin" time taken the place of our weekly date night or other quality time together.  Rather, it is separate from and in addition to these things.

It IS possible to do this for yourself...and it's important!  It doesn't have to cost money.  It doesn't have to be out of the house (though if you're at home most of the day, I'd encourage you to make this a priority).  It doesn't have to be super exciting, adventuresome, or new.  It just needs to be what you want it to be, and for some of you, that might mean you need to let yourself figure out what that is, first.

I know this level of mandate is a little uncharacteristic of my posts, but as you've just read, this really means a lot to me.  I feel so cliché saying it, but as I get older, I'm learning more and more about myself and what it takes for me to be at my healthiest.  This is not something I'm working on alone; my husband has played a major role in this part of my personal development.  Without his encouragement (sometimes it's had to be more strong than others), I wouldn't have ever considered allowing myself to prioritize myself (that's my Enneagram 2 showing...and that's a whole other blog post - haha).  He's on his own journey, too, and I'm so proud of him.  So thankful to get to do life together!

Anyway, please seriously consider this for yourself.  I'm no expert, but would love to talk through it with you, if you want!  Would love to hear anything you're willing to share.

Until next time, friends. ☺

With margin (because "margin-ly" is too close to "marginally"),
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my son - for so many reasons

cooler weather, open windows, prospect of fall, etc.

Aldi

Don't worry...I'm still here. ☺

Hello, hello!

I'm taking a short break from the nearly 50 student evaluations I need to get done (a little over halfway there!) to make sure you know I'm still alive and well.  ☺  One of my adult students told me the other day that if I think time is going by quickly now, it only gets faster...which is really hard to imagine, at this point.  I'm doing my very best to enjoy each moment before it passes, though!

The holiday season, so far, as brought lots of quality time with friends, family, and loved ones - new and old, near and far - and I wouldn't have it any other way.  You all know relationships are second only to Jesus on my "life priorities list," so building/cultivating/growing them on any level just does my heart good.

A couple kiddo stories for you:
Before starting a duet, one of my students (the one who used to refer to duets as "dudettes," in fact) stopped for a moment to figure out how to count us off saying to himself, "Wait - what's the temperature?" as he pointed to the time signature.  I asked, "Do you mean the tempo or the time signature?"  He laughed and replied, "Oh yeah - the time signature - that's what I meant."

A few weeks ago, my favorite 4-yr.-old planned a trip to the Children's Museum and lunch at Noodles & Co. for our morning together before preschool.  When I thanked her for such a fun time together, she replied, "My pleasure."

Thanks for reading!  Sorry this was so short and sweet... Let me know if there's anything you'd like to hear/read about in the "scoop" - I'm always open for questions and/or suggestions! ☺

Stay warm out there!

Productively,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

having quite a few students miss their lessons tonight (even though this was due, in part, to illness, it was a huge answer to prayer, because I had my laptop with me and was able to fill the paid time completing some evaluations)

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

(memories of) Cocoa Gravy w/ Biscuits