White Space
If you’re like me, you look at the calendar you carry under your arm every day, the good old-fashioned day planner, and you see your future, planned out meticulously for weeks on end. From childrens’ activities, to work functions, doctors appointments, and, oh yes, even your trips to the grocery store. How much white space do you have?
Many of you are so dedicated to your calendar you have beautifully color-coded each activity coinciding with each member of your family; even the dog has a color. Yes, you know this is you! Moreover, it’s absolutely me. Although I’ve forgone the colors to a plethora of pen and pencil marks on each day.
My calendar is a topic of daily conversations. Whenever anyone says, “Hey, let’s do lunch,” I reply, “I need to check my calendar.” Or a receptionist may say, “Ms. Packard, what day would you like to come in and have that tooth filled?” My response is, “Oh, I need to check my calendar.”
As I age and add activities to my life, I need my calendar. Remembering where my phone is most of the time is a huge challenge, so it’s clear that day-to-day activities are something I must write down to be sure I’m where I’m supposed to be.
A few months ago, as the business of life was taking my calendar hostage, I heard a friend say, “You need more white space on your calendar.”
I thought, well, that could be true. Maybe my writing wouldn’t be so messy or I could put more info on each day, but that isn’t what she was talking about. It wasn’t white space to fill, it was white space to, well, not fill.
I must admit, that thought never entered my head.
White space.
Space where you don’t have anything planned, and yet, you planned it that way.
Well, there’s a thought.
In order to function with any sense of normalcy and sanity, I needed more white space. What is it they say? “You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.” Well, that’s the white space.
For me, I’ve pledged to not avoid the state where I live. Hawaii is a Mecca of sandy beaches and clear blue water, and for a while, I stayed so inland I was paler than a visitor from Canada. Not exactly the white space my friend was talking about.
With this revelation, I vowed to hit a beach at least for an hour once a week. Now, mind you, I may be reading a textbook while sitting on the beach, but it’s a step in the right direction for self-preservation. Attaching something that has to be done to something you want to do.
So let’s face it, when my textbook starts to put me to sleep, I grab my snorkel and take a moment to myself and watch a few fish enjoying life. This is my new white space.
I take the time to visit a place of rejuvenation for me. I feel no guilt leaving the laundry behind or bringing pizza home for dinner in lieu of a home-cooked meal. It’s one day a week and everybody can deal with that.
I hope to encourage you to make some white space.
You have to plan to not plan anything. Maybe your white space, that day where there’s no writing, is a walk or a long bath. Maybe it’s a visit to the mall for a pedicure or a fresh hair color. Maybe it’s undecided, but you know that white space is reserved just for you.
No guilt, just rest and repair.
Maybe your white space is after all the babies have gone to bed or one night a week when your spouse is in charge. As a person who “peoples” a lot, I highly recommend a day once in a while where you don’t “people,” or maybe your white space is reserved for good old friends time with coffee or wine!
With the business of military life, be sure to plan a white space day, your claim on the week, even if it’s for just a few hours. You will be thankful for this kindness. And when you see your calendar with that one day or one hour, your white space, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it’s almost here.
