What if I go outside and look for the moon every single night? Cold, rainy, mild, warm, bright or hazy I raise my eyes and search out the beautiful luminous goddess of the sky. What if I pause and reset, breathing in the freshness of the night air, thinking about time and distance and how many souls are entranced by the same bright orb? Wouldn't that magic then settle behind my eyes and infuse my sleep? I think it would.
What if I do my best and never criticize the result? Or even if it is day where my best is not possible, where I'm a little tired or holding my heart tenderly for some good reason, that I still don't chastise myself but say, "Well, dear, this is your best today." What if you do the same? What if we always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt?
What if I spend my free moments journalling or crafting or reading instead of editing my NETFLIX watch list? Or trapped by the mesmerizing backlight of my phone? What if I read before bed every night? That never leaves me unrewarded and numb. What if we each pick our favorite things--artful or banal, easy or hard, completely without judgment except that they take us out of ourselves--and do them regularly, keeping the time sacred?
What if I'm not ashamed of the things I can't control? Not ashamed of my aging self (shape, gait, weight), not ashamed of no longer working. But instead, love that I have time to garden, blog, nurture grandchildren, take long baths and even nap. How long didn't I wish for more hours to myself? Some doors need to be closed and the pathology of busyness is one, no matter how young or old we are. As we age we become more inspired, more creative, more accepting and less fearful . . . go ahead and finish the list.
What if we don't whittle our leisure time away but rather look for richer experiences? Ones that don't involve clicking and digital distraction. Nothing is more invigorating that being outdoors whatever the season. Now it's bundling up and tromping in snow. I love gathering wood for my log rack. My husband walks trails. There's skating and skiing and sledding (and shoveling). Time with a child is always time well spent; maybe only the grandparent generation realizes this, but it's true.
These are my what-ifs for February, a kind of time-out for intentions that lead to a better life. Nothing empty, overwhelming or exhausting. Tonight I'm starting with the moon; I'll linger when I take Mr. Wiggles out for his last break before bed. Just a few hours from now. It will be cold and clear, a lovely North Carolina winter night. What are you choosing for your reset? In peace, Nina Naomi
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