Now the children are getting older I often find myself trying to get things done rather than take some rest after lunch. It can be easy to fall into the trap of emitting sleep and rest in order to be more "productive".
Get odd jobs out of the way. Clean. Oh how there is always something to clean :)
Nola is a very light sleeper and is up many times throughout the night. I am definitely finding it harder to do without sleep than I did a few years ago with the older ones ;)
This post from Parenting Passageway helped remind me why things always seem to fall into place better and we all get along better when we take the time to rest during the day.
I find that when we rest the girls are far more content, as am I. And whatever we accomplish, learn or do afterwards is of a depth and quality than any accomplishment we have earned by running ourselves ragged.
What is all the rush about? What is all the pressure about?
I also find that I'm far more at peace with imperfections, both mine and others, when I've had a break in the day. The little whinges and whinings, which are ironically often a result of not enough rest....
There is this inherent guilt in me that I must keep omyself constantly preoccupied with something "useful".
This quote is a wonderful antidote to that mindset I think.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time”
John Lubbock
I think it is so important that I listen closely to my and my children's body, mind, and soul (for all are linked) and be humane in my approach to what I'm are able to do and what I'm not. I'd rather feel a sense of peace and love and let less important things take second place.
A good example being that....I've just taken up Nola's entire morning nap time to write this :)
Writing is something I would usually leave until the evening. But today it just felt important, needful, right. Flexibility is something I'm learning to embrace more and more as I get older. Right now I hear distant sounds around the house, little murmurings of life. Stirrings, like seedlings in the earth.
The little are content playing dressup and colouring in their fairy books in their room. Emmy is writing something for Air Cadets and Bujana is playing with Emmy's caligraphy set, writing some beautiful, ornate letters out in dipped pen and ink! .... Bujana has never shown the slightest interest in her handwriting until Emmy recieved this caligraphy set for Christmas. Now, simply becasue she has been inspired by some beautiful examples of penmanship she has learned cursive, joined italicised handwriting all of her own accord!!!
The house is, almost, silent!
We are still in the process of de-learning or un-learning our conditioned ideas about what is important, what constitutes "real" education and ultimatly what we want to spend the most of our time on our precious earth learning, being and doing. We are not here to simply cram facts into our brains, pass tests, trade the better part of our lives doing a job that neither nourishes us or our world simply so we can earn money, consume and expire.
Unschooling has opened my heart and mind in so many ways. I can't believe how much it has woken me up as a person, helped me to ask the imporatnt questions, and more importantly learn how to answer them. From an unconditioned truth. From a freer perspective.
Last week we finally racked Autumn's mulchy brown leaves from the grass to the flower beds and veggie patch. I think mama hood is the mulchy leaf stage of life :) It doesn't always "look" pretty or impressive, but things are happening at an integral level.
Inaudible happenings in the deepest places. We are not the individually bright and beautiful leaf, bathing in the light of the sun, synthesising photons, releasing dazzling sugar stained anthocyanins into our own blood streams.
We are undefinable in a way, a part of the earth, the creation. Softer, subtler, truer.
Here are some other beautiful and inspiring links I've found on my travels this week :)
A Mountain I'm Willing to Die on.... Momastery
A Beautiful free e-book on practising peace from Mama Om
Skirts awash with colour over @ Sparkling Adventures
Plasticine Stamp printing from Filth Wizardry
The Amazing movie "I AM" which I hope to write about more in depth sometime! Thank you MJ for the link!
Thank you Inspiration Earth for sharing an awsome poetry slam!
Everything about this post I loved, especially this about mamahood
ReplyDelete"It doesn't always "look" pretty or impressive, but things are happening at an integral level."
I do feel the same way about unschooling. Things are happening all the time whether they are big or small. And your thoughts on not rushing spoke clearly to me. I too am always trying to fill spaces with purposeful activity. It would be nice to remember idleness more as peacefulness :).
That poetry slam!! Wow! I may have to link to it!! And I am glad you enjoyed I AM, definitely inspiring :).
Btw, I am an INFP too!!
xo
For many, many years I went thru my days fighting tiredness, but boy was my house spotless. I never sat except to nurse or rock a baby and then my hands were always doing something, my mind on the next thing on my to do list.
ReplyDeleteNow, twenty, thirty? years later I finally learned! I always wake early, 4:00, so by lunch I am tired. After we eat we now lie down, if only for 20 minutes. We may not sleep and often I don't, but at least my body is able to rest. It's important and something I wish I had learned when I was younger.
Thank you for the great links and once again for a lovely post.
I agree so much with what you say about resting. We still have 'rest-time' at our house on days we are at home at mid-day, although our youngest is now a teenager. And I too feel a lot tired-er than ten years ago. I often wonder how those grandparents who are having to bring up their grandchildren for whatever reason (quite a few of them around) manage to do it! God's grace, I suppose.
ReplyDelete