Lying in bed this morning, I was thinking how wonderful it is to live in the way of leisure. It was the first time I could just lay there this week, didn't have to get up afore 6am. (hehehe...makes me happy I don't have kids) Leisure, as opposed to laziness (and it is very different) is not only beneficial to the health of a person as it helps to nip stress and anger in the bud, but also healthful since a person isn't pressed to do anything. Prayer is more effective if one isn't thinking "O my gosh, I need to get this from the store, then I have to write out the bills, taxes need to be done, Jenny's baby is due this week so I should call her, I need to pick up so and so's perscription, the laundrey should be done before this evening," etc.
yes we have many things to do in our everyday lives, but there really is plenty of time to do them, and the things that we stress out about need not be stressed out. Just take a step back and put it into perspective. As my mother's favorite music artists, Marie Bellet, sings, "it's the little things that get you a little at a time." If one lived in a leisurely fashion, they wouldn't get so hung up on the little things. Errands actually become very enjoyable when you've simply got plenty of time to get them done, when you can stop an extra place at some point. I think folks would be much happier too.
Some good reading on the subject (if you've time enough to digest it) is Josef Pieper's Leisure: the Basis of Culture. Absolutely fantabulous publication by a most excellent Catholic philospher of the 20th century. The 20th century has yeilded many excellent Catholic philosphers: Von Hildebrands, Chesterton, Pieper, C.S. Lewis (who was almost Cahtolic), JPII, and others.
