There is something almost magical about opening your work calendar on a Wednesday morning and discovering that you have absolutely zero meetings.
Not one.
No Teams calls. No back-to-back conversations. No awkward 30-minute blocks that somehow turn into an hour.
Just a glorious stretch of time to answer emails, get some work done, and solve all the world’s problems from the comfort of my home office.
Naturally, I decided to go for a walk.
In my defense, it is an absolutely beautiful fall day in St. Louis. The sun is shining, the air has that wonderful autumn crispness, and the trees are putting on their annual show. It seemed almost irresponsible not to get outside and enjoy it.
So I took myself to Creve Coeur Lake for a walk, popped in my airpods, and listened to a podcast from the Dominican Sisters.
A little fresh air, a little faith, a little movement, and a little time with my own thoughts.
Honestly, not a bad way to spend a Wednesday morning.
On my way home, I picked up a cobb salad and some chicken tortilla soup for lunch. Because apparently today’s theme is taking care of myself while still being a reasonably productive member of society.
And now here I am, spending part of my afternoon writing a blog post between answering emails and putting out whatever little fires happen to pop up.
It’s funny how much I appreciate days like this.
There was a time when I might have measured a successful day by how much I accomplished, how many things I crossed off a list, or how many people needed something from me.
And don’t misunderstand me. I still love a good crossed-off list. I am also quite capable of being the person who gets things done.
But somewhere along the way, I’ve learned that a beautiful day doesn’t have to be a particularly busy one to be worthwhile.
Sometimes the best thing you can do with an unexpected opening in your schedule is actually enjoy it.
The rest of the day has a little more structure.
This afternoon I’ll take Layla to physical therapy. She had knee surgery back in June, which is an entire story of its own and probably deserves a blog post someday.
While she’s in her session, I’ll settle in with an iced sweet tea and whatever book I’m currently disappearing into.
Not exactly a tropical vacation, but I’ve become pretty good at finding little pockets of pleasure in the ordinary responsibilities of life.
And then there’s dinner.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Alex is working. Eva is heading to the St. Louis City Soccer game. Layla may be home with me, or she may head off to watch her boyfriend’s soccer game.
Which means I could be cooking for two.
Or one.
Or perhaps deciding that a perfectly acceptable dinner consists of something I find in the refrigerator and absolutely no dishes to wash.
The possibilities are endless.
And for once, I don’t feel the slightest need to figure it out ahead of time.
Maybe that’s one of the things I appreciate most about this season of life. I’ve spent so many years coordinating schedules, making meals, getting kids where they need to be, and keeping all the moving pieces of a family in motion.
And while I’m still very much in the middle of some of that, there’s a little more room now for spontaneity.
For a walk because the sun is shining.
For a good book in a waiting room.
For lunch that someone else made.
For an evening that doesn’t need an itinerary.
None of these things is particularly remarkable on its own. But together, they make for a pretty lovely Wednesday.
And perhaps that’s why I’ve found myself wanting to write again.
Not because something extraordinary is happening every day, but because I’ve gotten better at recognizing how much beauty is tucked into the ordinary ones.
The sunshine. The changing leaves. A quiet calendar. A good bowl of soup. A daughter who still needs a ride somewhere. An evening waiting to unfold.
A whole collection of little moments that make up a life.
And today, I’m rather enjoying mine.
Happy Wednesday. Make a little room for something lovely.
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