We’ve already hit the school-year-stride with loads of homework, rushed meals, racing to practices and early bedtimes that remind me just how quickly these days and years pass. But last night, I needed to make a quick stop at the storage unit on the way home from football. When we pulled into the parking lot, this one said he wanted to rest.
“Can I lay down right here next to the car on the ground mom?”
No.
“Can I lay down on the roof? I’m just really tired and I want to lay down flat.”
I guess so. We have a back seat, you know.
“The roof is better. “
Agreed.
So that’s where he perched while I ran in to quickly get a count. When I returned, he wanted to talk all about the moon. He was fascinated by the way it looked like it was exactly half of a circle. He could see shapes in the dark spots on it. He could even see a snowman.
I was amazed by his ability to tune out all the commotion of the world and just rest.
There hadn’t been two seconds to rest since I picked him up from school. It was PeePaw’s birthday and Poppy and Gigi are housebound in the flood so we FaceTimed all our grandparents in the car. We hammered out homework and stole a quick family dinner at the table before rushing out the door to practice. An hour and a half later, by the time we pulled into the storage parking lot, my boy was tired. He was spent and he knew it.
And so, he rested.
There was no thought to what others would think. There was no concern about not having a proper place to rest. It didn’t matter that he would do the work to climb up there and only get five minutes of rest.
He knew he needed rest and he rested.
He was happy as a lark when I got back. I wonder what would happen if we paid attention to our needs like that? What if we noticed that our bodies were tired and our minds where crowded with too many thoughts? What if we paid attention to that and allowed ourselves to rest? Even if only for five minutes.
Even in some awkward, unexpected place.
You’re working hard. You’re running fast. You’re doing so many good and needed things. But we need you to be okay and your body needs rest.
You don’t need my permission.
You don’t need your boss’s permission. You surely don’t need your kid’s permission. You don’t need anyone else’s permission. You only need yours.
Give yourself permission to rest for a minute.
Rest wherever you are, right now. Close your eyes. Take a long deep breath. Breathe out all that tension and stress you’re carrying. Let it go.
Life is hard.
It’s okay to rest.
to more love,
Crystal
P.S. If you’re local and want an easy place to get a literal breather with your girlfriends, come join us at Laughter Yoga Girls Night Out one week from tomorrow. Rest is waiting.
