How busy is too busy?

This weekend, after having finished the 11th grade retreat and the Busy Person's Retreat, I was signed up for a Religious Education retreat in Richmond. As Friday evening rolled around, I didn't want to go. I was exhausted, and the thought of driving to Richmond to be around people I didn't know just didn't feel appealing. And it was a task-oriented retreat, not a restorative retreat, which didn't help. What changed my mind was that I realized that I had never been to a Quaker retreat that I didn't appreciate. This one took a while to grow on me, but I did in fact leave restored and reminded that the work I do with the First Day School is my faith in action. The whole retreat felt like affirmation that I am in the right place as a Quaker - everyone there was a kindred spirit. Similarly I had a home-stay with a stranger, which I was nervous about, and it turned out that the woman I stayed with is inspirational as both a Quaker and an educator. Sometimes when the reasoning behind "one more thing" feels right, it can be worth it no matter how many other things are going on (interestingly, I've found the same is true about books. I can be reading a number of others slowly, and if the right one comes around, it's still worth it).