The weather today is a lesson in balance. The air is fresh, with just enough sunshine to make being outdoors pleasant. I turn toward the sun, soaking as much of it in as possible. A neighbour’s hen has wandered into our garden and is scratching the ground contentedly around my feet, making quiet clucking noises.
Occasionally, a light autumnal breeze stirs through the leaves and sweeps across the garden as if to cleanse all of us in its path. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, hoping it holds the secret to peace.
I’m trying to give my brain a short rest in the middle of a busy day. I wish it had an ‘off’ switch. Lately, it feels like everything I look at adds to my To-Do list. A cobweb in the doorway reminds me that we need to make a new cleaning schedule for the house, the stack of mail on the coffee table nudges me about making a card for my nephew’s birthday, and a glance at the date brings an icy feeling of dread to the back of my neck because I absolutely CANNOT miss some deadlines before I fly back home.
I try to stay out of the kitchen because there’s an avalanche of chores waiting there – tea mugs that need to be washed, groceries to buy and lunch to prepare. All this is besides the ever-present Uni-related reminders at the back of my mind. The essay I have due, prep for the meeting with my thesis coordinator and early reading for that looming stats course.
I peer into the grass, wondering if the chicken too had been scratching out a To-do list and baulked at length of it
A surprised squawking and flapping broke through my anxious spiral. Something had frightened the chicken. I knew exactly how she felt. I had a similar reaction when I finished making a list of my tasks for the day. I peer into the grass, wondering if she too, had been scratching out a To-do list and baulked at its length.
And what about social enjoyment? Walks to the forest, tea with friends, pub quizzes? If I’m being honest, years from now, these are the memories that I’ll look fondly back on. Sigh. Can I get more than 24 hours a day? What is it that makes us feel like we’re constantly falling behind? I don’t have an answer. Maybe the chicken does; she’s now sitting in a patch of soil with a very satisfied look about her.
Ananya Doraswamy is a Master’s student in Communication, Health and Life Sciences from India. She delights in a slow-paced day that has plenty of time for cloud-watching and tree-gazing. She enjoys being in busy, multicultural kitchens that have plenty of food and stories to offer.
