The Art of Rest

This past snowstorm we had really caught me by surprise. It came the day after Christmas, after all of the preparations and work were all done. What a wonderful gift! Now, I have to tell you that honestly I used to dread snow. The thought of shoveling a driveway that was 3 cars in length and twice as wide as a single car use to really upset me. After that was done, there were some really long sidewalks to clean, all on the North side of the house. So, of course that all froze solid. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction to this snowstorm. My husband and I have moved to a community where the snow is shoveled for us when it snows so I had a totally different outlook on this past snowstorm. I loved watching the beauty of the snow and didn't mind at all when we had 24 inches plus of accumulation. I actually enjoyed it! That was a nice feeling after 25 years of dread! This snowstorm also taught me something. I learned a bit about REST. The timing of this storm was perfect! It forced me to stay home and since the holidays were over I really did not have anything pressing I had to do. so I rested! I had not realized how tired and busy I had really been. For the first time in a really long time, I sat in my recliner during the afternoon and actually fell asleep. Then I watched a movie at night. It was really great! I guess I needed that rest. The next day was beautifully sunny but windy with snow blowing everywhere! The snow swirled around and around blowing drifts high and low. As I sat at my kitchen table looking out onto our deck, I noticed a small, brownish bird sitting on the end table next to my loveseat on our deck. There she was; a beautiful mourning dove. The picure above is the actual bird on my covered porch. She had decided that my covered porch was a good choice for her to rest. The sun was shining brightly on this wind-chilled bird and you could see she was so thankful for the brief respite she had found. She basked in the sun for over an hour and I could see her appreciation of the warmth that the sun offered her. As I observed her, I realized that we all need to stop and rest sometimes. I could relate to her as I also needed the rest after a busy time such as Christmas. I would like to inspire you to rest as we begin this new year. I realize that my most creative of all times usually comes after a period of rest. I am extremely inspired and creative after a vacation on the beach where I have had time to think and rest. I am energized after several days of rest after this snowstorm and I cannot wait to start on some more creative projects. Giving ourselves the time to think is imperative to our creativity. If we continuously push ourselves, even when we are tired, we will burn out. But if we allow ourselves the time to rest without feeling guilty about it we can truly get in touch with our inner selves and what our hearts are yearning for. So, my wish for you this New Year is guiltless rest and lots of creativity! May you also have a blessed, healthy, prosperous New Year filled with the love of your family and friends, old and new! Thank you for your continued support of our blog and please contine to post your thoughts and ideas so we can see what you are thinking about!