Yesterday I Slept. Rest.
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I slept like that puppy, deep and long. I fell asleep around 8:30pm and woke at 6am. I usually wake to pee at night. And handle a tantrum or a dog needing to pee. Not yesterday. Yesterday I slept.
I am full of motion and yesterday I enjoyed a day at the beach, just my daughter and me. I read almost an entire book. It was gloriousness layered with gloriousness. My mother watched the boys (thank you), including the new puppy. I watched my daughter swim and write words in the sand. Mostly Harry Potter related, of course.
Yesterday I slept because I wasn't in forward motion, I was resting.
I was lying on the beach, no little boys to chase. I was soaking in the sun, no dishes to wash. I was reading a book that felt new and crisp in my hands, no laundry to fold.
When I woke I felt a bit confused. Had I really just gone to bed at 8:30 and not done anything? No blog, no writing, no dog walk, no little kid teeth brushing? Yes I did. Lucas apparently crawled next to me and fell asleep too. The puppy must have joined at some point.
When we have so much to do, doing it is awesome. What I am learning is that when we need to rest, it truly can require effort. Effort to switch gears. To sleep for one full, long night because there will be lots of late nights and tantrums ahead. To rest for one day with a special person because our lives are full of many people who need and rely on us.
On my community Facebook page, Mama Space, I asked, "What does rest do for you?" The answers were so beautiful I wanted to share some of them.
~makes me feel like anything is possible -this one was popular and I totally agree
~changes the way I see myself and my circumstances
~reflect on what matters to me and gets me ready to go again
~creates space for me to be creative
~takes me from grumpy to cheerful
~makes space for another load of laundry and a clear view into my life -so good right?
Sometimes the rest sneaks up and surprises us. I think we all need to work just a tad bit harder at making space for our rest. Yes, we'll have the late nights, I'm in one now. That day of rest allowed me to accomplish more and feel more settled and joyful just because I wasn't exhausted.