I am in the last few days of my annual leave. I have taken three weeks just to hang around at home, be with my kids and complete some projects in our new house. I have enjoyed the break. A change in routine is always good from me physically, emotionally and spiritually.
In the next week, as I start to meet people I haven't seen over the break, I am sure I will be asked what I did in my three weeks off. For a person who can at times be quite task oriented this is a hard question. I could list off all the little DIY projects I've completed. I've painted the kids rooms, installed two Ikea wardrobes, put up some pictures, hanged some curtains, unpacked boxes and thrown out rubbish. I could list all the things I've done as a mum. I've done numerous loads of washing, cooked a few batches of pancakes, washed thousands of dishes, been a taxi driver and social secretary and fought a few battles.
I could also list the things I haven't got done. I haven't read the books I thought I might read, I haven't gone for a walk each day, I haven't done any scrapbooking, I haven't created any mandalas and I still have a long list for the next three days. How do you judge the success of a holiday? Is it about how exotic the place you visited may have been? Is it about how relaxed you became? Well, I can't say that I went anywhere exotic (some people would say I already live in paradise) and I can't say that having the kids and their friends racing around has been especially relaxing. This has been a holiday of being. I am being a home renovator. I am being a mum. I am being a house keeper.
My challenge is to stop my critical, overthinking mind from saying this is not enough. It is enough! There is no need to get the list of jobs finished. There is no need to read all those books. It is enough just to be. And on Monday when the busyness starts to build again, maybe I need to keep my holiday list going. It can be a reminder for me to sit occasionally and read a novel or get the paint brush out start on another room or not to moan as the kids social calendar seems to take over. How easy it is to get caught up with doing things and completing tasks that help us to feel valued and worthwhile. If this self worth was inbuilt, how much easier it would be to just be.
A little over a week ago, some people in the Margaret River congregation gathered for the first "Story Circle" This was inspired by our workshop back in August with Sarah Agnew on "Telling our Story". As this was our first meeting, we had no agenda as such. We were asked to bring a piece of writing with us to share, but we only just managed to discuss these. The time was filled with spontaneous sharing of our stories. Stories of family, childhood, places we lived and times of transition.
Some found commonalities in their stories and could talk about places that were familiar. Others lamented that they did not know the stories of their parents and wish they had asked the right questions at the right time. This spurred us on to talk about passing our stories on to our own children while we are still able.
We have decided to meet again at the beginning of December, but we have some homework in the meantime. We have all committed to at least starting to write a story for our children. It can be a story about their younger life or our own, but something we would like to share with them. I'm not sure where to start. What is an important story for my children to hear? What stories will make a difference in their life? I am hoping that in the next week a story will become obvious as one I need to write.
I wonder what stories you would write about your life. If you want to know more about the inspiration for our story circle have a look at Sarah's blog.
It was the last day of the school holidays today. It has been a different sort of holiday as Guy and I have both been working and trying to juggle our time with the kids. The kids went on a camp for part of it and we have had two sets of visitors staying with us. It wasn't until today that I realized we had very little time with our family all together.
So this afternoon we took off. We drove to Dunsborough for lunch and then on to Canal Rocks. This is a place that all of our family enjoy. We have been visiting Canal Rocks with our children since they were babies. I cannot recall a time when we have not enjoyed our visit. My husband loves watching the wild, unpredictable waves. My son becomes like spiderman clambering with ease over the rocks. My daughter enjoys staying close to someone and exploring the cracks where living creatures might be hiding.
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For me, I just love watching my family enjoying being close to nature and being themselves. I love the wildness of the place and the freshness in the wind and the water. There is something about our common love of this place that connects us in a mysterious way. As Harrison climbed higher and higher, his sister called our, "Be careful, Harrison". Only to get the reply, "That proves you love me!". There was lots of laughter and time stood still for a while. On returning to the car, we were somehow more connected than when we arrived. Canal Rocks has invisible threads that link us together as a family.
I guess for other people there are other special places that hold memories and the power to reconnect. For my family that one hour together in this awesome place made up for the disconnection of the holidays. So many cultures have a strong connection to the land that is not just physical, but spiritual. Western cultures are often too busy to be aware of these vital connections. Where are the places that have special significance for you? Are there places that are not only important to you, but to your family or community?
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