New Year's Thoughts

Supposedly Joseph Campbell said, "We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."

This pretty much sums up 2009, and should probably become my mantra for the next several. I think there is great merit in planning though, and I will continue to plan my choral rehearsals. (And our new Sparks family giant wall calendar will keep important dates and appointments in 2010.)

However, in life the best things that have happened to me have not been planned. Fisher and Meredith weren't "planned" per se. Being older and over-busy, I had planned that it would take a bit longer to happen. And I sure didn't plan on twins. In fact, that whole concept had never entered my mind.

I didn't plan on directing a college choir; that happened almost by accident, too. And I didn't really plan to do it for very long, but it seems to be steady work for the immediate future.

I planned on having my dissertation done prior to this year... But then again, GSU needed someone to give an assistantship to, and it is serendipity that I was still unfinished and there to receive it.

It was also quite unplanned that I am not officially back working at church. This is surely the longest maternity/academic leave that a part-time employer has ever tolerated. I hadn't planned to receive such grace from my pastor or choir.

And so it goes. I'll leave 2010 quite open to whatever is waiting. Considered as a whole, I--like George Bailey--have a wonderful life. It is quite better than I ever could have planned.