In a previous post, I mentioned that taking breaks are important for a
person’s sanity. Who was I referring to? Everyone, really. My weekdays tend to
get pretty methodical. I have the same routine each day. I get up, fix my
husband’s lunch, make coffee, get in some writing, and then begin working (I
work from home). Throughout the day, when I get chunks of time, I barrel
through each subject with my nine-year old to complete his homeschooling
lessons – all while meeting the needs of my melodramatic two-year old. Although
I have the freedom to switch things up a little throughout the day, it usually
ends the same with me feeling completely exhausted and ultimately accomplishing
less than I had planned.
Remember when you were young, and time was so irrelevant? Some of my
happiest memories during childhood were during the warm seasons, riding my
bike, making mud pies, and playing with cousins on the Rock Cliff (sounds
dangerous, but it was just some large boulders on our family’s property). Unless
you count the last few minutes of school before the bell rang, I never paid
the clock any mind. I was more concerned with my next adventure. Now
that I’m an adult with real responsibilities, I sometimes feel like time takes
me prisoner. Thus, the mini-getaway is born.
Unfortunately, I can’t dismiss my responsibilities and just have fun
doing what I want, but I can take some downtime. As long as I’ve completed a
few tasks on my to-do list, I don’t have to feel guilty about it either. In the
spring, I love working in the yard; especially in my flower beds. There is
something so relaxing about being outside where the air smells clean and
fresh, and the warm sunshine can make the worst day just a little better. In the
summer I like playing with the kids in the yard or finding a home project that
will make my home look brighter or run more efficiently. The winter is a
little tougher since the sunshine is scarce, but that’s when I do the most
reading and writing. Playing hide-and-go-seek with the kids in our small 1100
square foot home is a great adventure too.
Whatever it is that I find to do, I try to take in every second; like I
did when I was a kid. I try not to think about what is still left to do, or
what I could’ve done better. I’ll have plenty of time for that when my
mini-getaway is over, and I’m back to my “normal” routine. The word routine reminds me of when I was breastfeeding
my newborn daughter. She had a routine all of her own, which meant her routine
was also mine. One of the things I credit for staying sane and getting to enjoy
my baby, amongst the everyday chaos, was feeding time.
When she was hungry, it
didn’t matter what I was doing, I had to stop and feed her. Because she was
attached, I didn’t have the freedom to do much multi-tasking (Kudos to anyone
who can do dishes while you breastfeed your child.). While the world was running
laps around me, I got to look down into her beautiful face and hold her little
hand and tell her how much I love her. This brings me to the conclusion that
God was certainly the original inventor of the mini-getaway. If He thinks it’s
important, then so do I.
What keeps you sane amongst the monotonousness of routine and the chaos of a busy day? What is your mini-getaway?
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