Over the past few months, much has been simmering. I have
had number one son return from five years overseas, bringing with him his
delightful British girlfriend to stay for a few weeks. Definitely a time period
I wanted to go very slowly, indeed! We celebrated hubby’s 50th
birthday on three separate occasions (he’s popular and worth it and he reads my blog – hi babe!). My baby girl turned 21 with more obstacles thrown
in her celebratory path than you could jump over. My Dad travelled to us from
Queensland to join the melee for a couple of days, giving us a chance to also get
together with my father in law (I’m blessed to have two of them) who was
turning 80. Then a trip to Brisbane for my university graduation before heading back to Bountiful for another round of tree planting. Phew!
It has been an interesting ride going from quite contented empty
nesters, to sharing our little cottage again with our now adult son, settling back into Australian life. We are re-adjusting, with grumbles and
laughter in equal measure. In between all of these events, it has been a big
challenge to spend the necessary time at Bountiful (as winter is our prime tree
planting season) but we have managed it – yet not without paying the price,
which is a lack of peace and the chance to just stop and breathe. It’s in those
times you find yourself more vulnerable to coughs and colds and the other
nasties doing the rounds. I'm praying that hubby's cold doesn't develop into man-flu.
I tell you all this in part to explain why I’ve been absent
of late from my blog – a place where I love to be, but can’t always be. But it also makes me stop and re-assess.
Could we have said no to any of these events? Was there any
way I could have shortened my to-do list?
In reality, I can’t see anything I could have dropped. I
can’t tell people not to have significant birthdays or not celebrate them when
they come. When family or special people live far away and are able to visit, I
don’t want to say no, just because my head feels about to implode or I’m
drowning under deadlines. A child's 21st or a graduation only happen once.
A few things have helped.
I’m trying to be a little more disciplined with getting up a tad earlier to get ready for work and just have some quiet space to take
a breath before I head out. For me, this usually involves time on the couch
with a cup of tea, my cat (who has relaxation down to a fine art) and God. I have a noticeboard that I've put special things on, and one is a pic given to me by a dear friend who, despite being half my age, manages to exhibit double my wisdom on a regular basis.
I certainly don’t have all the answers. Peace can be so
elusive, and ironically, the search for it can be exhausting. I do want to get
better at it. I do feel so thankful every time I check out the view at Bountiful and take that breath and stop
… it reminds me that I am part of something so much bigger, that I have been
blessed big-time and it always prompts me to say thank you.
Does your heart yearn for a simpler life? What do you do to
slow down?
I remembered a song from the 1980s from Devo (crazy red pot
plant heads but great music) called Working in a Coal Mine – a musical representation of doing the same things over and
over again. “Lord, I am so tired! How
long can this go oooooooon?” intones the voice on the soundtrack to accompany the images
of real miners at work.
How long will it go ooooooon? I guess until I make it the
priority to change.
Tracey ✌
With thanks to the You Tube channel of Rick Rogan, who used
footage of the Cumbrian Mines to accompany Working
in a Coalmine
and Simplify on
Facebook for Lauren Gaskill’s meme on hurry vs peace, which you can find at:
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