I HATE MONDAYS

. . . AND OTHER WORK DAYS

Monday, Monday

LIZBETH 

Oddly enough, I don't actually hate Mondays! Mondays are the day I try to keep free of obligation other than my own work. I have a job I love (writing romance novels) and Monday is the day I get to pretend I'm going to get finished or up-to-date on All The Things. Of course, being a procrastinator of the highest caliber I rarely am up-to-date. And Mondays are also when I catch up on Facebook, my reader group, and all the other shiny object thingies I love to use as avoidance. But at least I don't usually have outside appointments or engagements and my day is mine to use or waste as I want.

There are other days of the week I enjoy far less because they don't belong to me. Tuesdays, for example, is my day to help out at my daughter's horse farm by cleaning stalls. I don't even hate the job--it's cathartic, I can get a lot of an e-book "read" while picking horsey poo, and there are horses around. But I have to be gone from my house for three-to-four hours and I do come home smelling like a barn. Wednesdays I babysit two of my grandchildren, which is a joy but it does take up an entire day. Thursdays are errand-running days. I take my mama grocery shopping and to any appointments she has (planned for Thursdays whenever possible). Again, enjoyable tasks but taking me away from my writing. Fridays--well, my hubby has a work schedule that allows him to have every other Friday off. Delightful, but that makes for a long weekend of plans where I don't get much work done either. Frankly, aside from having most Mondays free, I'm not sure how I ever wrote twelve books. (But you can see why I haven't written twenty-five!)

So--Mondays aren't my "manic" days. They are my only "my" days! So, keep 'em coming, at least on my calendar. I'll give you my Tuesdays!

AMANDA

I think my disdain for Mondays came about when I worked full-time at the various jobs I had in my youth. Society inundates us with the whole “TGIF” philosophy and it creates a mindset of Monday through Friday being a grind, the “thing” you want to leave behind at 5 PM on Friday and not think about until that alarm goes off again on Monday morning! And who can forget, such great tunes as “Monday, Monday” (Mamas& the Papas) or “Just another Manic Monday” (The Bangles) or even “Rainy Days & Mondays” (The Carpenters)

Ah, Monday, Monday.  

The thing is, during this time of COVID-19, I’m lucky some days to remember what day it is! Since the onset of COVID-19, we have chosen to watch our two grandsons (ages 3 and 18 mo.) each week, Monday-Friday(7-4pm) Though we’re blessed beyond measure, the fact is that it’s a bit more of a challenge for a woman of a “certain age”” than when I was younger! Hence, it’s no great wonder that I awoke last Saturday morning convinced it was Sunday and thinking how fast the weekend just flew by! Thank you, CBS Saturday morning for setting me straight.

Truth is, they say with age comes wisdom. I believe with COVID, there comes wisdom as well. I no longer “hate” Mondays. Each day is a precious gift. 

I have come to realize 1) how short & precious life is and 2) how to live in the moment, because you can never get it back once it’s gone. To that end, my new “Monday” song pick might just be “Amazing Grace.” (Best version, Pentatonix 2020)

Manic Monday  https://youtu.be/NVGOyYyWxiA

Monday, Monday  https://youtu.be/h81Ojd3d2rY

Rainy Days & Mondays  https://youtu.be/PjFoQxjgbrs

Amazing Grace  https://youtu.be/Obp-9BEZe1c