Snow comes to South Carolina this past Sunday afternoon. Four to five inches pile up by bedtime - a major event down here in the South. I have only witnessed snow 2 other times in my 5 winters down here. The day following the snowfall, we lose cable and Internet (but thankfully not heat).
With impassable roads, schools closed, and no TV or Internet, I wonder how I am to spend my Monday. I experience mild agitation. I have so much to do for work! I can't take the day off! Heaven forbid I should stop "doing," or the world will fall apart.
While my taskmaster nags me, my body talks. I't's tired. Every part of me is tired - body, mind, and spirit - fallout from the past stressful week. Rest sounds like a much needed oasis. Can I give myself permission to simply rest?
It appears that the Universe has conspired to confine me to home, take away the online power to do my work, and even remove TV as a distraction. I give in. I breathe a sigh of relief and say "okay." I steal a nap in the afternoon. By dinnertime, I feel mellow and centered. Still tired but it's a good kind of tired. I feel at peace in the stillness I experienced.
Reflecting back I feel peeved at myself that it takes something drastic at times to slow down. Too often I ignore my tired body and tired mind. I plug ahead, not listening to the call to rest. I stay on the treadmill of action. Being busy is one of those unconscious driver behaviors that plagues me and most other Americans.
Yet I am learning. While the snow has melted and the weatherman promises temps in the 70's this weekend, I cling to the lesson of the snow. Today I consciously choose to pause in the middle of my day, to breathe, to be. Stillness can feel good. Like nature with her seasons, I learn to respect the rhythm between action and rest. A little of the latter goes a long way with the former. Snow days aren't just for kids!
What a beautiful snow you had. Parts of northern Arkansas got a foot of snow. Here in the middle of the the state we barely got a few flurries. If I hadn't looked out of my bathroom window and later the living room window at the right time, I wouldn't have known because our flurries were so light that I would have missed seeing them at all. Ah, the wonders of nature.
It is sad that some of us are so driven that it takes a power outage to demand that we rest our bodies. Usually for me, it is an illness that makes me slow down.
Posted by: Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker | March 05, 2009 at 07:17 AM
Patricia - at least your flurries are sufficient enough to capture your attention and give you pause. Maybe we all need to remember to use the "pause" button in our day to day lives more regularly. We might be surprised at what we notice when we do. Thanks for chiming in!
Posted by: Deb Call | March 05, 2009 at 07:48 AM
Pause? Rest? Get out your shovel!
Posted by: Dick Richards | March 05, 2009 at 09:48 AM
That's the beauty of living in South Carolina - you can skip the shovelling because it typcially all melts by the end of the day!
Posted by: Deb Call | March 06, 2009 at 05:31 PM
I know. Just couldn't resist.
Posted by: Dick Richards | March 08, 2009 at 11:29 AM