Space

Space.

For me, taking space is necessary after a busy season or before one. It’s a luxury and that’s exactly what I’ve gotten to do for the last two glorious months. I whittled down my work, our homeschool and our social activities to a minimum so that I had space to be and to breathe. 

Being busy keeps me distracted from what’s happening inside me. After such a nice break, I feel more settled and more at peace with my own thoughts. It feels like all of me - body, mind and soul - has taken a deep, centering breath. I feel so much better. 

I’m still easing into work and our regular homeschool routine. Both of those things are a welcome source of joy and challenge in my life and, after a long break, I’m happy to be back. 

In general, I live my life at a much slower pace than many people. (At least that’s what it seems like.) I see people with full lives and busy schedules and energy that comes from being on the go and I am often a little envious but that’s just not me. I like the peace that comes with slowness, I love the way I can melt into a moment because there’s nothing else for me to do but be exactly where I am. I feel tense when I’m busy and re-energized after rest and solace. Taking a break from certain things allows my soul to take a deep breath and reach a place of calm.

Of course, there are other things that inevitably fill the space that I create for myself, but I’m so glad that I have had the chance to give my attention to them because I slowed down on other things in my life. The death of a loved uncle, the birth of a precious nephew, the new life growing for our family and so many more occasions happening in the life of my family and friends are meaningful to me - these are things that I want to attend to mentally and emotionally. I couldn’t have done that if I had had a full schedule of work and school and activities. 

I feel grateful for the chance to reorient myself after a busy time.