seven million reasons

life.

is busy.

with seven

million

things to do.

busy busy busy

relentlessly

booked schedules

rushed meals

loud music on car rides

because there must be a release.

seven million things to do

none of them important

none of them world-altering

life-changing

important.

seven million reasons

to stop

run away

and never return

to this life of busy.

but stay -

do the

seven million things

that you hate

but are as comfortable as

playing scales on the piano

cleaning the coffee pot

taking out the garbage

or making sure your shoes are clean before coming indoors.

things that have to happen so that

the world makes sense

seven million things

that might keep us from living.

they all have an antidote.

the cranky person: skip on the sidewalk

the sleepy eyes: converse with the barista

the boredom during a vacation: go skydiving, because you can

the pining: do it alone. you won't always be able to

the tired days: roll windows down, turn music up

the frustration: remember peace, make it happen

the longing to do something right: you know how to do it.

 

the only thing stopping you

are the seven million little things

that we think keep us from living.

but are in fact,

the very seven million reasons

that we do live.