'Tis the Season to Overschedule

Every December, I have two kajillion and three things planned. There are Christmas festivities, family in town, friends on break from school, service projects to participate in, good movies coming out, and all sorts of other loveliness. When I was in public school, I had many band and choir performances. When I was in college, I had finals. And often, work picks up before the end of the year. When I worked in fast food, I used to work two or three times as many hours during December as I did during the rest of the months.

One year, a fellow asked me on a date at the end of November. And I said, "Well, let's see. The next time that I'll be free is probably... December 21st." I think he thought that I was lying, but I most certainly wasn't.

If someone asked me on a date right now, I'd have to tell them to wait until next year. 'Cause I ain't got time for that. I have so many things going on between now and the end of the year that I feel like I'm about to spontaneously combust. Everything is happening at once. It's a good thing that I don't have to schedule time to breathe, because if I did, I would die.

Overscheduling is, I should mention, often the Obnoxious way. My family tends to live at the speed of light, moving from activity to activity barely hanging on by the seat of our pants. Sometimes it's a good thing: we do get things done. Sometimes it's a little much. Or a lot much.

So far, I've managed to juggle everything really well. Except for the fact that I've become a little, shall we say, loopy. I'm here. I'm there. I'm all over the place.

Over the weekend, I identified all the potential problems in a potential relationship with this guy I don't really know but kind of think is cute. First I identified all the problems; then I solved them. And I was like, "There we go! Things will definitely work out and we can get married sometime in the next year and have seven kids." And then I started writing a journal entry explaining all of this to my posterity and whoever else is going to read my journal. And then halfway through I was like, "Wait. What? Why did I do this? I don't even know anything about this guy. What is wrong with me? Why did I spend so much time on this?" The answer is that at some point, my rational mind became overtired from being worked so hard. It stopped working the way it usually does and instead started rationalizing things that don't make sense. And that's only the beginning.

On the way home from work today, I was crying. When I walked in the door, I was angry. And about five minutes later, I was peaceful and serene and preparing a pot of beef stew. And a couple of hours later, I was being vaguely charming at family home evening. And now I'm all giddy and happy and I don't even know. While I was in the shower, I composed a Hanukkah carol of my own devising (because it's the first night of Hanukkah, goyim.) I'm giggling while I write this.

I think I am currently a little what they call, what's the word, unstable.

But oh well! There are things that must be done, and I will do them. By the grace of God, I will get through this month.