The Space Between

I find myself paying closer attention to the Rules Of The Road these days.  Here at our house, we are weeks away from launching our last child into Driver's Education.  So, of course, I am trying to keep a mental note of "All The Things She Must Know"...which I will desperately try to download into her brain. I have been quizzing her on driving-related-bits as we are out and about ("Can I make a right turn here on red?"  "What road are we on now?" "Was that Dairy Queen open?").  She gets exasperated.  I get panicked.  How can I possibly instill almost thirty (EEKK!!) years of driving experience into this should-still-have-light-up-shoes-and-a-sippy-cup child?  So, in an effort to try to maintain any semblance of calm, I take a deep breath and try to prioritize which rules of the road are most critical to the New Driver.

Now, this week was one of Those Weeks where I found most moments of my day booked with people to see, places to go, things to do.  With only one child left in the house to trail, Husband and I find that our schedule is not as busy as it has been in past years.  But for some reason, the last twelve days have been non-stop.  I am barely completing the task at hand while jumping two tasks ahead of myself, trying to map out the most efficient way to get from Point A to somewhere past Point Z.  Surely, you know what I am talking about.  That seems to have become our society's New Normal, yes?  Non-stop.  Booked.  Morning til Night. 

So it occurred to me today, while I was sitting in a line of traffic waiting for an earth mover to clear out of the road, that I have been failing to apply one of the Rules of the Road to my life.  Leaving two car-lengths between myself and the car in front of me.  And why is it important to leave that space between you and the other driver?  It allows a different perspective and clarity in seeing what is happening in front of you.  It allows you time to change your mind or direction.  It allows you the ability to extend some kindness to a fellow driver by letting them pull out in front of you.  It allows you the few extra moments you may need in an emergency.  Where did I leave that space in my Twelve Day Frantic Paced Marathon?  I didn't. 

When I am filling my days with commitments, I need to apply the Two Car-Length Rule.  For if I leave a bit of space, perhaps I won't breeze by an opportunity to spend a few extra moments with someone in need of a listening ear over a warm cup of tea.  Perhaps I will discover that there is time, after all, to bake a pan of brownies to send in with Husband to the people that make his life a little easier at work.  Perhaps I will stop at the lemonade stand that the little ones around the corner worked so hard constructing.  Perhaps I can add twenty minutes to a walk with my furry companion that will delight her busy little puppy brain. Perhaps I will notice that I haven't seen a post from a friend on Facebook in a while...prompting me to check in on her.  Perhaps I will hear something in the voice of someone I love that makes me ask a few more questions:  "Are you ok?"  "Can I help"  "What will you do?". Because just like in the car, whether we tailgate or allow a little extra room, we really do arrive at our destination at about the same time anyway.  So why not create that space where some small, unexpected Life Moment can settle into? And if one of those Life Moments doesn't happen to come along?  Well, then I can use that bit of time to make Road Sign Flashcards for my newest little driver.