Tuesday, June 14, 2011

here…now…

is a day with almost nothing in it.

Just as we wanted.

Yesterday I figured out that in the last 11 days, we have been busy, like Super-Incredi-Busy, for ten of them.

Ten out of 11 days. That's not reasonable!

It wasn't so unexpected. My husband had been planning last week's music festival for 6 months. My son's birthday comes every year, same day, every time! And lessons are booked in, and homeschool group, and art and writers workshop, all on the calendar. It's a busy, full life we have here.

So our busy wasn't a surprise, but the overflow and Too Full! came a little hard ('specially for one tired girl). Kind of like when you've been on a huge hike and your legs are insanely wobbly. You ache all over. You need to sit, and catch your breath, and you realise…

maybe that last mountain was too much.

You think you can scale them all, when you start. From a distance, none of the mountains ever seem that big. And they are, each one of them, so lovely. But together? Kind of Really Big.

:)

Anyway, now, we are

still.

At peace. At rest.

On the weekend I sent out emails to dear and new friends, who we were supposed to meet up with today and on Thursday, saying, We are going to take some time off! I hope you will let us come another day. We will come happy and with bounce, after we have rested.

Today, the kids drifted downstairs.

My son (who loves his schedule, and having Work To Do) said,
I'll get to my maths, but can I just read this first?

I said, leaning over him on the couch, kissing his nose, "Get to it, don't get to it. Do what you like."

So he is reading all day!

My daughter said,

Can you help me make my felt bird? And,

How do you do blanket stitch again? And,

Here, mum. I made this for you.

Smile.

(And she has slept deeply and well the last two nights. Still figuring out the going to sleep part, but baby steps are being taken, and she wakes up Happy.)

As for me? I've been reading an amazing book. Banishing the kitten from the kitchen. And sitting at the desk here. Getting ready for my Tuesday writers workshop. I began by feeling a little panicked—what wise thing would I present today? I often write a handout, talk about some aspect of writing, something about story… Until I realised. Today, is a day of REST.
So instead, I came up with a selection of fun writing exercises. Which they will pick and choose from. I won't give a handout, and perhaps I won't be remotely wise. Today, the kids' words will be All.

It's raining outside.

Cat and kitten are out, inspecting the chickens. Dog is asleep on his bed by the couch. Kids are reading.

Nana will come soon, to hang out with my dreamy kids.

All is quiet, but for the turning of pages. My son breathing. My daughter sniffing, once, twice. The rattle-tap-tap of my fingers on these keys.

This is what rest looks like.

Almost, almost, like nothing. But so much deeper than that.

.

7 comments:

  1. Oh yeah! For a nothing day. We treasure those days here in our household too. Enjoy the nothing!

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  2. This trip we are on now has made me realize I need to take more time to slow down and enjoy the learning as it happens. I tend to overschedule us and when one of my girls hits a wall and melts down I realize I have pushed us too far. No more. I will honor our need to just be. I will draw lines through two days on my calendar where nothing will interfere with us just being us. I am glad you had a day to do that. It sounds lovely!

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  3. I am glad things are better! I sent you an email with some links to other sleeping stuff if you want to check out the Old Time Radio shows I was telling you about the other day.

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  4. Rest. Mmmm. Now that sounds good. There is an art to doing nothing. I am certainly guilty of working on other arts more. So glad your girl is finding rest. And that you are finding peace :).

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  5. So glad to hear that your girl is sleeping better.

    We need lots of time to just be too. I work two days a week and the girls have lessons on a third day. If we do anything on a fourth day it is low-key with friends at a park or something. I don't like to over commit. We need lots of time to just be. I feel like we learn better when we have wide open time in front of us rather than a need to be here and there and everywhere.

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  6. I think that the simpler we make our lives, the more we realize how we crave that simple..that quiet. I think most people rush around so, always in a hurry, never realizing that the stress they feel is because they are always rushing from this place to that.

    I love that you know this. I love that after a busy few days you see the need to just ..be.... I love your writing, your words, they strike a chord in me like a poem. I always leave your blog feeling at peace and happy.

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  7. Preaching to the choir, girl. I hate being overscheduled and often find the need to quit everything to just be home and not doing anything. That said, I LIKE doing stuff. But not so much, all the time, no breaks, etc.

    Glad she's sleeping better. Hope it continues!

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I love hearing from you! Thank you for your heartfelt, thoughtful responses—they lift me, and give me light.