PLEASE JUST MEDITATE

I had a stack of freshly folded laundry in my arms as I walked through the kitchen heading for my bedroom.

As I walked down the hallway my son Alex opened his bedroom door. “Are you going to meditate today?”

I popped into my bedroom, tossed the laundry on my bed and came back out into the hallway. Leaning against the wall I began counting off the tasks I needed to complete that day. “First I need to finish the laundry, I’ve got to run to the grocery store, I have ironing to do, I have to get everything set up for work next week…”

Alex cut me off. “You sound really stressed.”

“I am stressed!” I cried. “Those are only the beginning of the things I want to get done today.” I walked out to the kitchen, Alex following behind me. “Oh that’s just great!” I stopped in front of the dishwasher. “I forgot to start the dishwasher!” I looked over at the sink with all the breakfast dishes in it. “This day is just not getting any better.” I sighed.

Alex opened the cabinet under the sink and took out a dishwasher pod. He popped it in the dishwasher and turned it on. “I’m telling you, meditating would help.”

I dismissed his statement with a quick wave of my hand. “I don’t have time right now!” I headed back to the laundry room to put in another load of wash and start some ironing.

A few minutes later I was stomping back up the stairs. “I forgot the hangers!” I said through clenched teeth as I walked past Alex who was still in the kitchen fixing a cup of coffee.

“Meditation!” Alex called after me as I headed back to my bedroom.

I came back into the kitchen and slammed the hangers onto the counter top. “I feel like my head is about to explode!”

Alex took me by the shoulders. “You do this every time. Why do you fight meditating?”

“Because I don’t have the time!”

“It only takes ten minutes.” he pointed me in the direction of my room. “I’ll meditate too.” he scooped up my phone from the counter and handed it to me. “I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes.”

I sighed as I headed to my room. The last thing I wanted to do was waste time meditating.

Ten minutes later I was back in the kitchen. “Okay, you were right.” I took another calming breath. “I do feel better.”

“See.” Alex took a sip of his coffee. “I told you you’d feel better.”

“I know. I wonder why I’m always fighting it?”

“I have no idea.” Alex shook his head. “You remind me of little kids who are ready to burst into tears because they need a nap so bad but don’t want to take one.”

I looked over at Alex. “Ah…a nap.” I sighed. “Could you tell me I need one of those this afternoon?”

Alex laughed. “Sure. But don’t you have a few things you need to get done first?”