Making Time to Rest and Restore

Jen: I’ve been following the advice my son gave me from the backseat on a sunny Spring morning eight years ago, when he was just three years old. It wasn’t hard to miss my stress, trying to get us all out of the house, nervous I would be late to an important client meeting. My son was born wise beyond his years, and as I put my seat belt on to back out of the driveway, he said: “Mommy when I feel upset I try to find something beautiful and that helps me feel better.” Those words stopped me in my tracks then, and they have been in my heart the past few weeks as we’ve made our way through another month of this pandemic. As we see the suffering that continues to happen in our country and manage the uncertainties that the Fall brings including sending our kids back to school, that’s what I’ve been doing. I find at least one beautiful thing every day and most days I find much beauty. It’s always there if we’re looking for it. It’s not the cure to pandemic anxiety or worry, but it does help me feel better.

Jack:  I have been caring for my mind, body and spirit on a daily basis. I’ve been helping my neighbors access fresh veggies and herbs by tending to multiple community gardens. I also enjoy nature and exercise by riding 10 miles on my bike every day. Finally, journaling has been an approach to daily reflection and growth. 

Evan: My family decided to cancel our planned trips with extended family this summer due to the pandemic. We’re fortunate to have some land that we can spread out a bit more on during the days, which helps with getting outside and exploring wildlife, gardening, and finding new projects like landscaping, etc. Although, it seems like those new projects tend to add up, leaving me without any downtime during the day. We’ve started to set aside days when we can unplug, and bring in those elements of family vacations that we miss so much. We play games, camp out in the yard, cook together (sometimes on a campfire), and explore hikes with our three dogs.