This is a message for the time poor lovers out there. I see you, I hear you and I feel you!
We've found ourselves in that phase of life that I'm going to label as the "get it done" era. It's that phase where there are full time careers being built, masters degrees in the making, babies being raised, houses being bought, mortgages being paid off, 5am gym visits and late night yoga sessions, dreams being made and goals being fulfilled. It's a busy time to say the very least, then there are family and social commitments, personal hobbies being pursued and so on and so fourth. That calendar fills up fast! From what I understand, the time poor couple does all the things because they know that this is a time and a season. They know that it will all be worth it.
I've become fairly good at recognising a time poor couple when I see one, mostly because I resonate with them on such a deep level that my heart wants to jump out of my chest and I want to say "Hey! I get you, let's high five". I can usually pick the said "time poor" couple just by the way they communicate- it's short and to the point and it's exactly what they mean to say with out all the frilly little bits that perhaps people with all-the-time-in-the-world would throw in. Frilly bits like "sugar plum, princess, baby; could you pretty please with sugar on top pick up some milk on the way home so that we can make hot chocolate and stare into each others eyes while we sip on its heavenly goodness." It's cool, that's the way they communicate their love. Whatever. The time poor couple simply says "milk", which will probably receive the response of "on it" and then there might be a simultaneous message sent between the two which reads "love you". While these messages are short, they are special, it's these short and to the point interactions that keep the time poor couple going. Trust me, I know.
For the majority of our marriage we have been time poor. I knew this was going to be the case when I married an overly ambitious suit. And let me tell you something, that ambition wrapped up in that navy blue light check suit is damn well sexy. I'm comfortable with that. If he were anything else I would probably be rocking on the floor in the foetal position. We are a machine and we know it. I couldn't do what I want to do without him and he knows he couldn't do all he wanted to do without me. We are well versed in being time poor. We are brilliant at walking out on a time wasting meeting. Terrific at keeping phone calls short and sweet. If something is a clear waste of time we are the masters of avoiding it. Level Jedi when it comes to discerning those social commitments. We are the best at booking those short little get aways... one year in advance. Because the time poor couple knows how to prioritise. It's our sixth sense. The time poor couple knows how to find other time poor couples and together we all relish in the fact that everyone "get's it". Because let's be honest, not everyone does. And let's be even more honest, that is actually really annoying. Just saying.
The thing that I love most about my observations of time poor couples is that they have the team work thing down. They have each others back and there is this beautiful and completely evident trust between the two of them. They know that they have a safe place to fall and complete understanding and support from their significant other. It's magic to watch and it's incredible to be in a relationship with that kind of grounding.
So here is to you, the time poor lovers. You people with the outstanding telepathy and mind reading skills. You, who kiss for 30 seconds and can make satisfying love in 5 minutes (skills- time poor people have them). You, who understand the power of the yellow highlighter and an asterics next to a calendar event. You, who get the job done and make it look effortless. You, with the unending supply of post-it notes. You, who can text and answer emails while making arrangements on the phone all at the same time. The eternal multi-tasker. Here is to YOU. Cheers and a fist bump heading in your general direction, and if this post was somehow able to morph into an interpretive dance piece it would involve several theatrical high kicks. That's how committed I am to celebrating the time poor couples of the world.
I get it.
You've got this.
We've all got this.
Photo credit: Nicole Viljoen
