Day of Rest

I’ve had the most deliciously lazy morning.

It’s 10:38 AM and I’ve only been out of bed for about seven minutes.

For those of you who read that and think, “Sounds like a great Sunday morning,” – it was.

For those of you who would never allow yourself such an indulgence, I can promise you that the world didn’t end. Even without my active involvement, the sun managed to rise and society continued to function (I mean, as much as our society ever “functions”).

And, for those of you who would love a morning like this but are working three jobs while providing for four children and barely making ends meet, I’m sorry. I wish that I could wave a magic wand and gift you a secure and spacious life, but I don’t know how to do that…yet. I’ll keep asking the shamans and questioning the society we’ve built.

So, as I sip my first cup of coffee at 10:44, still in bed instead of sitting at my desk, I felt called to share this message: it’s okay to rest.

It’s okay to want a day off.

I love my life. I love my mornings. I adore my rituals and routines.

I love my husband and my community and 90% of the things that are on my calendar (I’m working on getting to 100%).

I love offering shamanic sessions and studying Human Design and howling at the moon and taking wiggly walks by the river.

I’m tickled pink by the beauty of this spacious chapter of my life.

And…today I didn’t feel like bounding out of bed to greet my day. I felt like burrowing under the covers because the dreamy, half-asleep, cozy state was so satisfying.

I recently wrote about all the chapters in my life where I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning because I didn’t want to face my day, and this morning’s experience was something completely different. This morning, I noticed what my dear, cherished human body (formerly known as my meat suit) wanted and gave it to her.

I’m not worried that it means I don’t like writing anymore.

I’m not worried that it means that I’ll develop a habit of being lazy.

I’m not worried about anything.

What I am is a human who listened when Liz Gilbert said, “You know what my new goal is? To be a relaxed woman. Yes, we all want to be compassionate and kind and caring and ambitious and helpful and four hundred thousand other things.”

“But you know what? Almost everyone I know already is those things.”

“What I don’t know,” she continued, “Is a single relaxed person. And that’s my new bar. More than being successful, achieving, special or wise, I want to be relaxed.”

So, from one sprawled- and blissed-out human to you in whatever state you’re in…I’m going to voice my support for the Liz Gilbert approach.

Relaxed is a pretty nifty bar to aim for.

And, because there’s a spidey sense urging me to say this, I’m going to add that you can deeply love the people in your life, including your partner and your children, and have days where you want them to f%*& all the way off.

It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It means you’re human. And relaxed people don’t judge themselves harshly for being human. They laugh and say, “This being human thing is so interesting,” ideally while sharing what they want. Not insisting that anyone give it to them, but using their beautiful mind, vocal cords and support system to ponder, “What if…” Like, what if the hubby took care of the kids all day today so you get time to yourself, then you did the same for him next weekend? Or what if you took a page from my mom’s parenting book and dropped the kids off at the sewers and then drove away? We all turned out fine-ish.

Less judging, more accepting. Less suppressing, more sharing. Keys to enchanted living.

Wishing you a beautiful and restful Sabbath if your body wants rest (I’m not one iota religious but I freaking love a Sabbath-style day off most weeks),

Finding Your Purpose…With a Twist

Trying Something New