Most articles on saving time will tell you to learn to say no--and they are probably right. Yet there are times when we need to learn to say yes.
Two days after my last posting called Stressfree Holidays, my healthy husband of 25 years was in the hospital receiving a blood transfusion. Christmas week found us facing the news that he had cancer, presumably pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to the liver. This was later confirmed.
Having a strange sense of humor, I had to chuckle a bit as I remembered my Stressfree Holidays posting. This was not the Christmas I had planned. I was thankful for all the preparations I had made, but realized this was going to be a tricky Christmas to pull off even if we made it home for Christmas.
After seven days of not sleeping in my own bed, I was blessed to be able to bring my husband home two days before Christmas. Knowing the state the house could be in after seven days at the hands of our three young adult sons, when my wonderful daughter-in-law offered to clean the house before our arrival, I quickly learned to say yes.
When this same wonderful daughter-in-law (and no, you can't have her!) also offered to purchase all the groceries needed for Christmas dinner and have them at the house waiting for me, I quickly learned to say yes.
We chose to enjoy Christmas, to enjoy the time together as a family, despite the hard news we had received. Having learned to yes to help, things worked out remarkably well even having arrived home two days before Christmas with out-of-town and also out-of-country guests!
Most articles on saving time will tell you to learn to say no--and they are probably right. Yet there are times when we need to learn to say yes. This was one of those times.
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