To Be or Not to Be

This weekend came and went faster than I wanted it to. Saturday I was feeling like I had to "do" too much-of course what I had to do were things I inflicted upon myself. Water the grass. Clean the kitchen. Do laundry. Get ready for the next day's hike. Of course, I could let my grass die, let dishes pile up in the kitchen, and make no plan for the next day's hike and regret it later. Thus, my desire for a clean home, a nice yard, and foresight makes me have to "do" a lot of tasks. I said to Mike, "Can't we just 'Be'?" His response: "Huh? Yeah, you "Be" and I will go watch the baseball game." So, I "Was". I chatted with MP for a while. I watered the lawn and read my book. Then I found myself going inside to bug Mike. "What are you doing? Are the Rockies winning?" Ahhhh....to "be" or not to "be"...what does that even mean? Does it mean that I do my tasks as the Buddha would, happy to be in the here and now? Does it mean that I take an hour every day to sit and be still, focusing on my breath and replenishing my soul? Does it mean that I spend time reading? Walking? Okay, I don't really have a definition. I think what "Be" means for me is to enjoy the present. Even in my tasks. I am here, on the planet, a living and breathing creature. Mike is here, my family and friends are here. Why think about what I "should" be or "shouldn't" be doing and just do it? I think the biggest lesson I have learned in this life is to enjoy the here and now. Sure, I get restless. Sure, I task myself too much. Sure, I would rather have fun than work. But the point is...I can "be" as I work, as I do dishes, as I water the lawn. So, I choose "to be" all the time. Or, at least until I get restless again.