When my life gets like this, I start to break down. My keys get lost. I can't remember phone numbers I've known for years. I put Annie's clothes in Ben's diaper bag. I leave cupboard doors open because I've run off to the next thing before finishing the last. Silly things that aren't a big deal in the scheme of life, but taken together serve as a big, fat hint: SLOW DOWN, LADY. 

So, today I will slow down. I am going to put my to-do list away and only focus on one thing at a time. I will take a moment to watch the sky from my 4th floor apartment, scan the tree tops for signs of autumn. I will spend an extra few minutes admiring Annie's first art project from kindergarten, following the pinkish squiggles as they intersect with the blue ones. I will sip this iced coffee slowly, knowing it's only a matter of weeks before I switch back to hot. I will step off the life treadmill to look around, gather up those close to me and let those chores scatter with the wind of this early fall day.