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Lessons from the End of Daylight Savings
The perks of the very first day it ends can last all year
On Sunday, November 5, I woke up late. Or at least, I thought I did. And then I realized: it was one whole hour earlier. Ah, the things I could do with an extra hour!
Sundays sometimes feel like a marathon in my house: laundry mountain awaits folding, vacuuming and cleaning awaits, the kids usually have some activity or sporting event that we shuttle them to and attend, and then there’s outside chores, which may or may not get done.
On Sundays, I often wish that there were 25 hours in a day. And then, when Daylight Savings ends, all of a sudden, there is that extra hour.
When I realized I had an extra hour, suddenly every task that loomed in front of me felt more doable. I relaxed with my morning coffee in front of the fire for a few extra minutes. There was no hurry — I wasn’t late.
The laundry pile got tackled and put away — every single sweater and sock found its place (though a couple were relegated to the drawer of single socks to await a mate) and I had time to make my weekly call to my aunt. We had a nice conversation (not rushed) as I hung up pants and shirts and folded towels.
After a late breakfast of pancakes and sausage (made by my daughter), I toddled back upstairs to get dressed for raking the leaves. And I wasn’t in a foul mood about it — the day hadn’t started to wane yet, and there was plenty of time to get out there and get it done right. The kids helped for about an hour, and the help they provided was actual — they’ve grown to be the age where they can pitch in and take some of the work off of my plate.
By the time I was done, it was three o’clock (not four), and I had time left to visit the bookstore and run a couple of errands. How delightful to be able to browse the tables at Barnes and Noble and linger a little longer, knowing that I had the time to do so.
Later that evening, well after dinner and clean-up, we all snuggled into our beds. It felt late, though the clock read 10pm. What a gift — to get it all done by 10 and be ready to go to bed. After reading a few pages of my book, I turned out the light and slept a full eight hours.