Forgetfulness

Being on Sabbatical, we've had some times of relaxation, times to travel, and times to work on things we wouldn't otherwise be able to work on.  There are some writing/editing projects I've wanted to work on - things I haven't had time for otherwise.  In hopes of being more productive, I've tried to get away from home a few days to work on those projects. 

So yesterday, I drove from Beloit to Cedarburg, WI to visit my parents and to do some writing at their house.  I was more than halfway there when I realized I hadn't put my purse in the car when I left.  I had my overnight bag and my computer bag, but I never grabbed my purse.  Immediately, panic set in.  What would I do?  Turn around and drive 50+ miles to get my purse?  Continue driving and survive without it for a day?  I opted to do the latter, but I've felt a little naked ever since.  Not to mention feeling like a gigantic idiot.  Who forgets her purse on an overnight trip?  Duh.  I kicked myself around the block and back again.

Obviously, this isn't the first time I've forgotten something.  I've forgotten my pajamas or a toothbrush more times than I care to remember.  On one trip to a conference, I forgot deodorant.  I was alone in an hotel far away from convenience stores, I didn't have a car to go to a store, and the temps in that city were going to be around 100 the whole week.  Yikes.  I could just imagine people at the conference sniffing the air suspiciously, then shifting 4 seats away from me in disgust when they discovered I was the source of the odor.  Fortunately, after I settled down, I discovered that the hotel sold overpriced deodorant downstairs, so KC was spared from the B.O. Incident of '11.

I suppose we all forget things.  How bout you?  If you've got amusing "Here's what I forgot" stories, feel free to share.  This little forgetful episode adds to my anxiety, because next week, we'll be leaving on a trip that will actually be 2 trips.  We head to Dallas for 4 days for a conference, and after a night in a hotel near O'Hare, we retrieve our children, repack suitcases, and fly to London and Ireland for 9 days.  What if I forget something at home?  It's a long trip with very different climates.  What if we leave something in the car?  Our kids would freak if we forgot their blankets.  What if we leave something in one of the hotels we're staying at in the next 3 weeks?

The anxious "what-ifs" could easily overtake my sanity in the next couple weeks.  But I'm not going to let them.  I'm going to do something very un-Jennifer-like and get fiercely organized.  I'm going to summon my latent anal-retentive powers, and I'm going to make lists and check them twice and thrice, and then I'm going to say, "Good enough."  There are things I can control and things I can't.  So I'll focus on what I can control, and then I'm going to let the rest go, trusting that things will work out, and God will continue watching over us.  So I invite you to join me.  Think of 1 thing in your life that's stressing you more than it should.  Find creative ways to deal with the parts of the issue that are within your control.  And consciously work to let the rest go.  It may not be easy, but it's so much healthier and will help you learn to "chill out" about things around you.  So as I try to organize, then chill out, I wish you the best luck as you try to do the same.