I am a list maker, as was my mother before me, and her mother before her. I know this because I’ve seen them. Lists have graced our kitchen tables, our countertops and our refrigerators for years. Although my grandmother is gone, I’m sure she’s proud that I’m carrying on this fine, organized, family tradition.
One of my essential lists is the Vacation List. My husband takes care of his own packing, but it’s me who packs for the rest of us. Just recently, I’ve been able to hand the boys a list of their own: choose 5 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of jeans, 6 shirts, etc. and set them on your bed. (I still count before putting them into the bags, just to be sure. I’d hate to end up in Italy, for example, with 1 pair of boy’s socks and underwear!) But in years past my list was an entire page long, filled with reminders to bring extra playpen sheets and diapers and onesies. Don’t forget the blankie, or toys for the plane (or car), and certainly don’t forget the baby Advil, just in case. (They don’t sell that many places, you see.) Even now, with the boys chipping in, I am the keeper of the Master List, responsible for making sure that clean skivvies are available for all and asthma medicine is packed and ready to go.
My list has three parts: To Pack (now); To Pack (once it’s clean); and To Pack in the AM (before we leave). I arrange my list this way because it’s how my brain works. To file these things together would leave me scrambling – Did I pack that yet? Is that in the wash? Do I have all of the toothbrushes? And the AM list is essential, because anyone who knows me knows that I must be awake at least a full hour before my brain gears actually engage. Until then, it’s slushy up there and I need a list to follow to be sure my hairbrush makes the trip. It missed the last one, which apparently started a little too early for me to even follow a list correctly.
Of course I also make To Do lists (To Do Today, To Do Soon, To Respond To, etc); I make grocery lists (separate ones for the supermarket, Costco, and farmer’s market); I make lists about things I’d like to accomplish, things I’d like to do with my kids, books I hope to read, and ideas for writing. My most productive days happen when I follow a well-constructed list.
I wonder if my grandmother felt that way.
Did I mention that my mother’s maiden name is List?
Every season has its perks, and there are things I enjoy whenever the weather changes. That first, beautiful snowfall, that comes down on a dark night and blankets our world with a soft white blanket; the tiny buds on the trees and the flowers pushing their way up to the warmth and light; the laughter of the boys on the tube behind the boat and long walks along the beach: all of these things, I enjoy.