Pondering with a Purpose - Routine

Welcome to Pondering with a Purpose -

 This is my weekly hop where I post a prompt and you get to write to it on your blog - come back here and add it to my linky and then we all get to go read what you wrote!

I started Pondering with a Purpose because -- simply put -- I am a writer - - that is what I do (I just can't help myself)! And although I love following all the hops, I wanted to see if I could bring out some creativity in not only myself, but some of my blogger friends as well.

The rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in my sidebar)
2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Come back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list below.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!


This Week's prompt is:                              Routine

My entire routine has gone through somewhat of a shakeup in the past month and that got me to thinking that I guess I am a creature of habit. I don't suppose I ever quite realized that before....even though I always surmised it. When my kids were little of course I knew they had to be kept within a routine, it just made the most sense. Dinner at a certain time of the day, bedtime within 30 minutes - give or take - with a reading period ALWAYS before bed. There was always nap time - no matter what - and the world was at peace. As they got older and their bed times were pushed later and later mine seemed to get earlier (isn't that odd?) I guess that is because I was still the first one up in the morning, making sure that lunches were made, dinner was prepared - in advance if necessary, and everything was in motion for the day. Now that they are gone the routine seemed to just continue even without them here.

THEN - I got a new job and the hours are wonky - last week I worked 2nd shift - 12 noon to 9 PM - I feel like I lost the days - no matter how hard I tried I couldn't really sleep in - I mean who does that on a work day? And I didn't get home from work until 10:30 PM and who eats dinner at midnight? Not me! So not only was my routine messed up . . . I didn't even know what meal to eat at what time of the day - - - and to make matters worse - - Muttley didn't eat dinner when I came home - so what? Now dogs have routines too?


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Thankfully I am back to a normal schedule (whatever that means anymore) this week - I get up at 4 AM to be at work at 5:30 AM and don't get home until about 4:00 PM - but for some reason that seems to be more 'normal'.





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SOOOOO ---- this whole post had been written and scheduled to run in advance and then I was driving home from work and heard Concrete Angel by Martina McBride on the radio and it made me realize something so important that I had to re-open the post and add something to it. I realized why routine is so absolutely important to me. That song reminded me that 18 years ago the only thing I could count on was a routine because I was literally living one step at a time, a day at a time and the routine I set for myself - and my children - was the only thing that got me through. Now I am sure there are many of you who are shaking your head in agreement right now reading this and if you have been following me for a while you will have seen (at least once or twice) me write that I believe all things happen for a reason. That song played today for a reason and that memory flooded back in time for this post. In light of last weeks' post about wallowing and reminding myself of where I was and where I am - it is often times important to remember where we have BEEN so that we don't go back there.

On that note: How about you? Do you need to have a routine or are you okay just flying by the seat of your pants?
I'd love it if you wrote a post and linked up with the linky below.
Or if you'd prefer - - you can just leave comments (or both!)