May 2025 and Thoughts…
It’s the merry month of May again.
Well… maybe merry is the wrong word with all that’s going on in the world. But it’s May, and life is full of choices.
Last week I was in the throes of addiction and it created havoc with my list of to-do’s.
A few years ago I bought a 1000 piece puzzle for my mother who was particularly fond of puzzles. But at the age of 88, she decided that 300 piece puzzles were her limit. So this puzzle: “Blue Landscape” ended up with my board games. A few weeks back I figured I’d get rid of it but would put it together first… just… because. (I don’t normally do puzzles by myself… not a solo hobby that I’ve embraced. I’d rather create the image, than assemble it. But be that as it may…)
Last Monday night I began assembling this huge puzzle that took up much of my little dining table… and I couldn’t stop. Just one more piece… I was up to 1:30am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday nights. Despite the back of my neck being in pain, and my empty decisions to go to bed “in just a moment… one more piece…” Thursday evening I was up till 12:30, then I finished Friday afternoon. Not intending at all to work on it during the day… I just couldn’t stop.
While caught up in the throes of addiction, I found myself reviewing my life’s choices (as one does) while reviewing eighty pieces of nearly identical blue sky. And I did experience some useful reminders.
1. With a 1000 piece puzzle (or any puzzle life gives us) it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed. But the way forward is to see what I actually can do. Now. The sky and deep shadows may feel impossible. But I can build that red mushroom. And I can find all the pieces for that little house. Bit by bit, impossible tasks become more manageable when you break them down to manageable bits. What small steps take me closer to my goal?
2. It’s really satisfying when a piece clicks into place. If I have to force it, that piece probably does not belong there. Or maybe the piece belongs there and I just need to turn it 180 degrees, or 90 degrees. Similarly in life, it is worthwhile to listen for those moments that click. And maybe I need to adjust my perspective first, before it will click.
3. Avoid activities that trigger addictive behaviors! It was so crazy to experience my inability to stop even though I knew it it screw up my plans for the following morning. Even though the back of my neck was in agony from looking down at the puzzle.
But the puzzle was finished and has been put away. I have my life (and my dining table) back.
