Busy? I thought so. Everyone is buzzing all of the time. Even vacations are opportunities to go all in or all out. Of course this life of total access offers little respect for “free time”. Hank muttered, “What would they do without me?” as he returned several messages while sitting on the exam table. He admits he has no limits. Frankly some of this availability is cloaked as responsibility but is actually ego. We want to believe we are indispensable. Nicole piled all of her devices in the chemo chair each week. She claimed that the work kept her from examining her situation. Bonnie was interesting. She said that the chemo and radiation gave her a good excuse to have down time. “Thank God I can take a break from it all” and by the end of her treatments, she actually resigned and is looking for a more meaningful or less pressured position. Good for her.

“No time” is a theme: to cook and eat right, to exercise, to be with friends, to call on family, to engage in a project or hobby, or even just to observe. What cancer survivors will tell you across the board is that what they thought was important quickly disappears when faced with a real contraction of time. They take awhile getting into that reality. There is so much doing: treatment planning, biopsies, scans, doctors visits, waiting. But eventually the common thread is a slowing of the hamster wheel and an enjoyment of a less pressured life.

If we are attentive we may appreciate how simple and pure, can balance the drama and trauma. Nature always provides nurture. Don’t we all need the joyful distraction now? Once you start noticing wildlife, it becomes a lovely habit. A bright red male cardinal and his mate live in bushes I pass on my quick run. Since my mother loved birds, I take notice, I feel as if they are engaging with me as they fly directly in my path each morning. They will not be ignored as they light from branch to branch. By the house, the pond is a great source of adventure, if I just gaze out for a quick moment. Two baby female ducks sit quietly on the bank this week. They should be on high alert. Across on the opposite side is an young alligator. He is sunning himself. Tail up, jaws open. I look closer and the ground beside him starts to move. I actually go and get the binoculars. Surrounding the gator are six large (2 feet across) dark, menacing turtles. Are they guarding the gator or protecting the young ducks? An entire scenario goes through my mind, and for those few minutes I connect as I disconnect. Right now there are 40 white egrets in the two trees near the marsh and a large grey heron is sitting like a old man under the branches.

Would I usually stop for these views? Frankly, no. I am making a conscious decision to permit the distractions. Wildlife can teach such freedom and contentment. We operate in and out of boxes of busy-ness leaving little energy for the wonder springing up around us. If you are someone who has known this all along, then I am happy for you. If this message helps to open your own awareness, then join me on the adventure and let’s get wild.