The Shape of Today

The time that is given us

Here is a treasured rarity: a day off work when I don't have to go anywhere. It's still warm enough that I was able to leave the windows open all night, allowing fresh air in. Yes, that means enduring more pollen setting me sneezing and coughing, but that's the price you pay.

I'm also enjoying the songs of birds as the sun rises. Yes, that means also enduring the endless racket of the highway with its traffic, but that's the price you pay.

There's a lesson to be learned in these musings, I suppose. To attain life's pleasures, we must endure life's unpleasantness. One could argue that there's only so much unpleasantness one could endure, but I don't want to waste my precious time on that. The sun is up, the birds are singing, and for the moment at least the highway is quiet. I've got chores to tackle, and hopefully my mind will tackle its chore and help me form a story to write. As Gandalf told Frodo, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.