sheteststhewater

In November, my friend D said to me, “Let’s meet up again in February so you can tell me what was good through your winter.  You are working so hard to find work.  You must make time to relax and enjoy yourself.” 

Some context: D & I share a deep commitment to work, sometimes to the detriment of other aspects of life.  When I accepted that self-care accountability offer, I was 9 months into my liminal phase without work.  I had been wandering many emotional paths.  Mostly, I remained grounded in the knowledge that this was a necessary part of life’s curriculum. 

Photo of Whitefish Lake. Taken by me this month.

My liminal phase was time to re-evaluate, reset, and recalibrate. Reconnecting with friends like D was good for me.  Perspectives and stories helped reaffirm that it was okay to slow down.

I will see D tomorrow, so I want to document the wonderful things.

Dear D, Here they are: 

• Baking gluten-free maple oatmeal pumpkin bars.
• Card games with friends and family.  
• Clearing house/donating 10 things the first of every month. 
• Coffee meetups with friends & new-to-me people.
• Cross country skiing with my husband and our dog and also solo. 
• Finishing 5 blog posts on test-ness.com
• Getting back to a somewhat regular meditation practice. 
• Hiking up the mountain & down the mountain with a friend.
• Hosting a party to celebrate my birthday and my new job: hors d’oeuvres, soup, & cake.
• Making Spotify playlists for my friend, EP, and for my birthday party. 
• Meeting people through part-time work at the local Nordic Center
• Pilates. Strong body, strong mind. 
• Reading fiction & listening to non-fiction 
• Regular home physical therapy exercises for my feet & shoulder.
• Satisfaction of a regular writing practice 15 minutes/day.
• Savoring poetry in my slow start mornings. 
• Sharing upon request, the Carrot & Sweet Potato soup with Ginger multiple times.
• Sleeping in until 6 or 7 sometimes & taking occasional naps.
• Slow start mornings.
• Strength training.
• Sweating in the gym sauna when it was not full of people.  
• Switching to decaf, which is better for my nervous system.
• Snow hikes solo, with my dog, with a friend, with my husband and dog. 
• Staring out at the water  – the lake and the river – regularly.
• Yoga.

Reflecting on this time and space, I feel a sense of reverence.  As difficult as it was, there was also a sense of wonder.  I was working.  

My work was taking care of myself, resting, and tending to the little things that make me happy.  I was galvanized through this work. I arrived at clarity on what was next for me.  

Today’s musical accompaniment: Caamp’s Snowshoes on [Spotify], [YouTube]