Later

My younger son (almost two) has started to do something fascinating.  

When I ask him to do something that he does want to do, he doesn’t say, “no.”

He says, “later.”

I know that I can do this too, in tasks I desire to have done, but often fail to start.  Reaching out to a friend, thoughtfully planning for the future, general household maintenance… I don’t tell myself that I won’t do it.  I say that I will do it later.  This dynamic does not enhance my life.

“Later” can be a trap, a way to avoid a strenuous but generous path.