Being sick all week turned out to be a much-needed excuse to sit down more.  I wrapped up a few songs, made some good meals, and even managed to shower a couple times.  

How decadent.

I woke up this morning at 5 am feeling pretty healthy again, and I was actually disappointed.  I knew that as soon as I left bed, I'd spend another week pushing myself beyond my limit, both at the restaurant building and at home.  I'd knew I'd work to utter exhaustion again. I knew I'd have no good excuse to take more moments for myself, to reflect on my days, to quiet my mind and relax.

That's pretty messed up.

It's a sad commentary on my life that I actually enjoy getting sick so I have a reason to give my brain and body a rest. The truth is, if I rested more regularly, I wouldn't get sick in the first place.

I was mulling over my sorry state of affairs when my son woke up and started heading down the stairs.  He looked out the window, and I heard him squeal.  He had seen his first barred owl.  He had a dozen questions. "Why is it looking at me?" "What is its name?" "Can I fly with it?" "Can it sleep in my ROOM?!"

(I told him he had to buy the owl drinks before it could sleep in his room, but all my best jokes are lost on him.)

Anyway, it got me thinking about how important it has always been to me to take the time to wonder, to think, to meditate.  Lately, I've made zero time for any of those things.

Reader, if you also happen to be moving too fast to let your mind be curious and light, I invite you to join me this week in trying to be more conscious about giving your mind a chance to rest.  We don't need to make an excuse to do it.  In fact, we should be making more excuses in other parts of our lives to make more time for our mental well-being.  

I'll leave you with an Alan Watts quote that I used to love: "Wonder, and its expression in poetry and the arts, are among the most important things which seem to distinguish men from other animals, and intelligent and sensitive people from morons."

Let's not be morons this week.  See you next Sunday. -Em