Image from Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”
I am home in bed with the flu. Like full-on been in bed the whole day, don't know what time it even is home sick. I am not sick very often and certainly cannot remember the last time I was bed-bound (which is lucky!), that it feels very strange to be out of it for even just a few days. My 'it' keeps me running pretty fast and I don't have much time or use for being sick (I mean, who does?), but what I find kind of amazing in these moments is that something can stop us.
We have made a lifestyle of multi-tasking, over-achieving and making ourselves available to what we do at all available costs. We make ourselves un-stoppable as a way of life, and while this has it's benefits, it is not always healthy. I think now more than ever most of us are working hard to achieve some sort of balance in our saturated (wonderful) lives, but we often still don't take enough time to just rest.
REST. Its a beautiful little word. Calm in even it's utterance. Like part of a lullaby sung by, if I had my choice, Julie Andrews..
But when your body has had enough, and renders you bed-bound it does not sing it to you softly. It grabs you by the shoulders, pushes you down and puts it's foot on your chest yelling: “REST YOU BIG DOPE!”
And so you must.
I like the idea that our bodies are bigger than us, they can stop us to rest. Nature is bigger than us, a good ice storm can level even the most sophisticated plans and keep you home. And often life is bigger than us, and I am learning that sometimes, we need to get back in bed and let it be.
xoxo
