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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Rest as Preparation

Today I have rested ~ before, during and after I rode the ferry for an hour and a half and drove another 3/4 hour into Vancouver. Getting from the ferry to Richmond, at least for me, has been no easy feat!

What does rest have to do with preparation?  Isn’t that what one does after all the busyness and the work has been done?  Resting ~ almost like a reward. Putting your feet up, a cup of tea or coffee, for some a glass of wine, a good book, music ~ closing one’s eyes and getting quiet within.

What if rest came first? Not the rest that comes after a work day is done, but a rest that is grounding and centering while the day still belongs to you,  different for each of us. Reading the morning paper, going for a walk, taking time to get ready for the day, . those are only a few I am familiar with.

My mornings have needed a couple of hours before getting in my car to go to work or to get to the ferry on time. It started as a necessity of one sort, and has morphed into a necessity of another. A preparation for the day ahead, whatever that day brings. My routine wakes me slowly, gets me in touch with my home, and allows me to feel the outside world In my home it is a cup of coffee, a book and some journaling. Outside it is feeling the sun or the rain, seeing ducks, peacocks and yesterday morning a raccoon scampering down an alley.

Fortune has smiled on me and I have accepted that smile gratefully for being able to take this time. To mould it to fit my life. Preparation opens my day gently and with grace.

“Radiate peace. Who knows? The peace you spread
may create the only restful place in your environment.”
~Stella Payton

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