The Quiet Time

I cherish these moments, the ones where I can finally find some sense of peace and quiet, some solitude.  These moments have been rare in recent days.  Every day has been filled with the hustle and bustle of a busy family.  With a large family group, there comes drama, activity, and so much more, yet some nights this down time is necessary to refresh.

In truth, I love having people around all the time.  I love knowing that I never need to be alone.  The choice to spend time with friends or family is almost always an option.  It's wonderful to feel that sense of community and family.  There's nothing lonely about it.  It helps me feel connected.  It can also be terribly overwhelming

Tonight I've got some alone time.  My partner is at work, where he'll be until the single digits are struck again on the clock.  The room mates are out visiting with a friend.  My children are all laying down in their beds, sleeping, or not far from it.  I'm left with my own time, some time to refresh, some time for no one but me.

I'm not taking this time to do anything amazing or wonderful.  I'm not using this time to work on sustainable living habits.  This time has no use on creating a greener world.  In truth, I don't want to make the world a better place right now.  I spend nearly every waking hour focused on how to improve my life, my community's lives, and the world around me.  Now I have a chance to spend my time on nothing but me.  I can breathe and be myself again with no one around to influence or impede my actions.

Of course, in many ways, I am doing something to improve the environment with my time, but I'm doing it for me, not because it's in any way better for the planet.  I'm taking my time to knit, listen to podcasts, and in general relax.  I find knitting very relaxing, but too boring to do while not engaging my mind in other activities.  Perhaps a complex pattern would change that, but for now I'd rather simple patterns.  They let my brain relax and rest as the yarn slips through my hands.  I'm listening to podcasts, though I could just as easily be watching television. I'm relaxing with every stitch.  While the product may be useful for green living, shorties for my littlest one, it's not the product that matters.  It's the motion of my hands going through the repetitive process of every stitch along the way.

Often times we focus on what needs to get done in the big picture.  It's all too easy to worry about saving the planet or doing things in a better way.  We forget to look back at the little picture, the small moments.  It's too easy to forget about ourselves, or all out lose ourselves in the next step or what we should be doing.  It's all too easy to lose sight of what we want because there is too much standing in our way.

No matter how dedicated you are to a course, no matter how strongly you feel in your convictions, never forget the quiet time.  Never forget to step back, relax, and breathe.  The world will keep on spinning.  Life will continue to go on outside your own bubble, and you will be able to return, healthier, happier, and stronger with more conviction to the path you've chosen.