Here’s Why I Do It

1. People are so busy, ALL the time! And women, good grief, it’s rare to see white space in their calendar. Even when there’s nothing on their schedule, there is always much to be done. Cleaning, cooking, laundry etc.
2. I find that it can be hard to relax in your own home. Even though your body might slow down, the mind sees everything that still needs to be done. So you might have on comfy clothes and a cozy blanket and even a hot cup of your favorite beverage but when you look around, there’s that one thing you haven’t dusted in a while or that load of laundry sitting in the dryer that needs to be folded. My goal is to create a space for the brain and body to rest.

Here’s What I Do

My house has cozy blankets, warm beverages and the most important thing NOTHING FOR YOU TO DO. You can check your phone at the door if you don’t want all the dinging noises or to see that thing lighting up here and there.

I try to keep it very simple for myself and my guests. I’ll throw the grilled cheese maker on the counter with a couple of loafs of bread and a few kinds of cheese. Then put out some chips and pickles. I have coffee, tea and water available and when I’m feeling spunky, some sort of seasonal beverage. I like to have fresh flowers on the table and my house usually smells like baked goods because, well… She Bakes They Eat. Defaulting to one of my ‘go to’ and very easy recipes that every one loves, like these Chocolate Chip Cookies, ensures I have no added pressure on top of having my house ship shape without a bunch of dishes in the sink.

There are a few other things I like to have readily available. I try to have a seasonal magazine or two, put my nail polish out and have a girlie movie at the ready. I don’t plan on entertaining, but if you want to chat me up, I’m down. Other than visiting with me or others who make an appearance, I’ve had someone knit, use my spare room to prepare their application for a Ted Talk and nap on my couch. It makes my heart happy to see people rest in general, but for someone to feel comfortable enough in my home to fall asleep, well that’s just the icing on the cake.

I’d love to have you join me at my next Oasis of Rest!

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Recently I found myself on a three hour road trip as a passenger in the backseat. There were three of us hunkering down in the back and I, the claustrophobic one, landed in the middle. I think it goes something like, the shortest in the party is the automatic volunteer.

While riding along, being squished and pondering what it looks like to live in the moment, I heard the 90 year old woman on my left reading every sign we passed. Every single sign. Out loud. Once I realized she wasn’t expecting a response back, I began to giggle, which made the seat situation a little more uncomfortable because we were packed in like sardines. Let me elaborate here. She was reading every sign. Every restaurant sign, every street sign, every storefront sign, every sign she could get her little eyes on. I thought we would have a bit of a reprieve when we hit the expressway but I forgot about the billboards. Every single billboard, out loud. She commented on the colors of the cars and how clean and shiny they were, made mention of how large the semi trucks were and asked what was on the back of flatbed trucks. And then we hit a long stretch of just blacktop lined with trees and she nodded off.

Every single sign. Out loud.

And then it hit me, this beautiful woman who I am very fond of was answering the very question in my far too goal oriented mind. She was living in the moment. She was soaking up every part of the day and all of the scenery (and words) around her.

I’ve lived most of my life in a big hurry with a constant need to quickly move on to the next thing. Basically, not enjoying the moment because of the pressure of my endless to do list. I know we can’t always choose our circumstances but we can choose our perspective. Listen, let’s not wait until we’re 90 to slow down, lift our eyes from our cell phones and take it all in. Just as a reminder, next time you’re caught at a red light or hit a stop sign, take a breath and read a street sign… out loud.

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