Where do I spend my time?

I looked down at my hands today and realized than in spite of all my best promises to myself, my manicure is still only half done.

Perhaps this is why I have lived with clear nail polish for most years of my life.

My hands are a reminder to me that in my life, too often, I fail to take that extra half hour for myself.

I am not quite perfect.  Nor do I wonder if I will achieve that status this time around either.  I am very human, and that is fine with me.

My manicure reminds me of my quirks.  It reminds me that while I would like perfectly done nails, I tend to lack the patience to sit still long enough for a professional manicure.  It reminds me that in my day and list of things to do, sometimes I still put my emphasis on task completion for professional goals over personal items.  It reminds me that within days my manicure will show the wear and tear of well-used hands. And those little chips and imperfections make me a tad crazy and wanting either a brand-new manicure or clear nails again.

My nails remind me that I can be quite hard on myself and that is not fitting, good or appropriate.  They remind me how something that can be a source of pride can also be a source of annoyance. They remind me to be kinder to myself, to know that as I am is pretty fabulous.  They remind me that I can be cavalier about my appearance and that is not fair to me or others, that taking care of myself every day is more than a spritz of perfume.

They remind me that my priorities should be me, the other stuff, and then the world.