Monday, March 03, 2008

I hope you love what you do...

Sitting at my computer I snap this picture and say "Have a good day!" to my handsome husband as he leaves to conduct a mediation.

Each day my husband gets himself out of bed around 6:30, leaves me to sleep a little longer, and starts his routine for the day. It doesn't vary much from day to day; perhaps that's why he does it so well. He never changes his course of action (like I do), he has a curtain call and never misses it. I get up while he is in makeup and costume, start the coffee pots (he likes flavored coffee from a dripped coffee maker, I like Folgers Breakfast Blend from a stove top percolator), empty the dishwasher, cut up the strawberries for his cereal, then sit down at the computer with my coffee to see if Kim has e-mailed me with any new happenings for the day. (Bless her, she is up early in her office and tries to touch me with bits of what is going on in her life. I delight in her contact.)

I am usually greeted with a cheerful, "Good morning, Lovie!" as Terr walks into the kitchen. He carries on with his business - fixes his cereal, pours his coffee and takes it all to the kitchen table. Then he goes outside to get the paper and sits down to eat and read until all is finished. He never says so, but I get the feeling that he gets annoyed if something happens to disrupt this routine, so I pretty much stay quiet in my little corner of the kitchen. We used to read the paper together, but since the computer, I catch the headlines online, check email, then turn on Good Morning America for the rest of the news while making the bed and getting dressed. My routine can easily go off in another direction - my thoughts scatter when I see something that needs doing, think about someone I need to call or pick up a daily Bible reading. But Terr...he has a direction. He likes what he does, doesn't want to change, doesn't want to go anywhere else. He is comfortable in his three piece suit, his early morning breakfast meetings, his telephone conference calls and every legal function he can attend. He is proud of what he does and I think very happy with the life he has made for himself.

It's important to love what you do day after day. Terr has a peace about him that I don't see in too many people, and this satisfying life of his sure has made the almost-68-year-old lawyer a handsome prince of a husband for me!

As for me, on a good day (if I'm not off to Tennessee or the Mountains), I finish my housework, go down to my studio, throw on an old paint smock,





settle into my little chair in front of my easel, turn on the classical music...

and paint. Wow! this could be a dream job, don't you think? And it is, when I make it happen that way.

I might add that I would be a much better artist if Terr's routines were mine, my passion, my direction, my discipline. A little more discipline would benefit me a lot...although I must say, I love the freedom to explore whatever comes my way at any given moment... Now that I think about it, this is truly a dream job.

... if I only had that fountain of youth he is hiding somewhere between here and the office.

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4 comments:

Queenie said...

Click on that picture of Terrence
leaving the kitchen. I'm only
80 and I didn't look like that
12 years ago. Maybe you should
make a sneeky trip behind him and see if he stops off for a coffee
and a botox. There is a Fountain
of Youth right there in Atlanta. Maybe you will be able to bottle
the water and sell it, as it is
done in St. Augustine. Seriously,
loving what you do does make for
a happy man, or woman if he can keep his lovey at home.

Family said...

I love and appreciate my lovely wife of more than 30 years. She is a splendid helpmate. She runs the household quite well. She paints. And she is never dull, as she thinks of one new thing to do after the other. It is sweet for her to describe my consistancy as a virtue, rather than just tediousness. We are who we are. The blessing is that we have complemented each other into our fourth decade of marriage. Thanks be to God for the Gift! Terrence.

Kate Croft said...

You are such lovely people and I adore you both. I'm glad I got some of Dad's decisiveness AND a bit of your free-flowing creativity, Mom!
Sweet post. You rock. ;)

juju said...

It's Wonderful Life--Better than the movies. I love your life and both of you,