The First Primrose of Spring

Saturday is housework day in the Gardner household, and last Saturday was no exception.  With four kids, weekends are always a busy time, and as usual we had a tight schedule to get all the chores done before Mum and Dad’s taxi service started work!  My husband and I usually walk our two dogs together at the weekend, but as there were so many chores to do and so little time, I told him to walk the dogs on his own.  We are extremely lucky where we live: right behind us are wonderful open fields and streams where the local farmer lets us walk our dogs.

A couple of minutes after he left, my husband called me on my mobile.  “It’s far too beautiful a day to stay at home.  Just drop everything and come for a walk.  We can do the housework tomorrow!”  And although I felt a bit guilty about leaving the house untidy, I dropped everything and joined him and our two dogs.  And boy! – was I glad I did.  Last Saturday was simply a gorgeous day, the first real taste of spring we have had so far this year.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, not a cloud in sight, and it was so warm it could have been a summer’s day.  Bliss!  And as we walked through the fields, in a sheltered, sunny spot we found some primroses – the first of the year.  Despite all the gloom, recession, bail-outs and household charges, those simple primroses lifted my heart and made me feel good about the arrival of spring and the end of winter.

As we walked back to the (untidy!) house, I thought to myself how glad I was that my husband had called.  Had I stayed at home, we might have had a tidy house, but I would have missed out on the delight of that lovely walk with my husband and dogs, and the uplifting joy of seeing those primroses.  It’s so true that the simple pleasures are often the best ones!

So take a step back and ask yourself “Have I got my priorities right?”  Sometimes we get caught up in the merry-go-round of life, rushing from task to task, always striving and never arriving.  Or if we do give ourselves a break, we feel guilty about all the other things we ought to be doing.  Of course, by Sunday evening the house was tidy, and the world hadn’t stopped turning!  And I know where I’ll be next Saturday if we are lucky enough to have another beautiful spring day.  Remember: nobody ever said on their deathbed “I wish I’d done more housework!”