I have been using planners for a really long time... since high school, really. When you are a neat freak with a sort-of mission to control almost everything in your life, the planner can be your best friend. Not to mention I keep forgetting a lot of stuff and schedules.
My family, on the other hand, is quite spontaneous and by spontaneous, I do not mean "Hey-let's-eat-out-tonight" spontaneous. Nosiree.
Our then family of five (my youngest sister was born when I was already eighteen) was the kind to randomly trek to the other side of our island province just for a swim. Or even hop off to another island for a day by the beach. When you live in an archipelago blessed by some of God's loveliest beaches, this is very, very possible.
Sad to say, these spontaneous and wonderful trips would clash with the carefully penned and color-coded plans on the planner. I soon got tired of just crushing out notes and lists and whatnot so the planner decided to take up residence in the darkest reaches of my cabinets.
More than three years ago, I got married and the Little Bear came into our lives. I had to juggle medical school with doctor's appointments and eventually, school functions. I became so frazzled that I was quite certain I would explode at some point.
Luckily, I found this little guy waiting patiently for me.
It was very old. The weekly and monthly inserts have 199_ on them still and the paper was yellowed in some places. It was love at first sight all over again.
I brought it out and threw away the calendars and contacts list. I printed a new calendar for 2013 and a few other inserts. I spruced up the Personal Information page, made my own contacts pages, and added a list of birthdays to remember. Using my meager craft skills, I made a charm using a tag they gave out during graduation and some shiny beads.
I could not throw out the weekly inserts, though. They were the lifeblood of the planner. Luckily, I had some Rilakkuma and Hello Kitty deco tapes that covered the dates pretty well. With the addition of washi tapes to my collection, the weeks became a little brighter.
I learned soon enough that plans do not have to be so rigid. To strictly adhere to a rigid plan would stifle all those wonderful moments I spent with my family. It is important to be on schedule for appointments and events and such but it also pays to enjoy life and love as well.
Now, my ancient planner proudly chronicles the journey of our small family in brilliant colors. The back pages, which hold blank and lined pages for notes are filled with childish scribbles from Little Bear's learning hands. For an oldie, my nondescript black planner has certainly found a way into our lives.♥
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