Relax

One of the first things I was told in premarital counseling was "take time to take of you." Imagine my surprise. I thought marriage was all about turning my "me, myself, and I's" into "we, us, and ours." Don't get me wrong, it is definitely about that too, but our counselors wanted to stress the importance of self-care. If you do not take the time to take care of yourself, you are no good for anyone else. So, you need to relax. You need to go to the gym. You need that time in the barbershop or the nail salon. You need that girl's trip. You need that fishing trip. All of your responsibilities will still be there waiting on you. The laundry pile will be waiting, and the to-do list might be a bit a longer. Relax. Take a moment. Breathe. Chill. It's ok. I promise. 

Still

As a child, I hated to sit still. I hated waiting. I always wanted to be in the mix. In fact, my curiosity was the reason I got into trouble. I had to know. I had to see. I had to do. The words, "sit down," sounded like a jail sentence. I have to admit as an adult, I still struggle with stillness. There is so much to do. Clothes need to be washed. The house needs to be cleaned. I have errands to run, and groceries to buy. Do. Do. Do. I honestly felt like I could not be productive unless I was doing something. I had to check everything off my "to do" list. Rest couldn't be productive, right?

Wrong. Our bodies need us to rest in order to function properly. We need to sit down after a long day to recoup. We need to be still, so we can hear the murmurings of our heart. I am still learning these lessons. Everything does not have to be done today. These dishes can sit in the sink. There will always be more clothes to wash. Order a pizza. You can get groceries tomorrow. Believe it or not rest is productive. Be still. Listen to birds chirp. Enjoy the beat of your own heart. Let someone else wear your cape today. Your "to do" list can wait. Just be still.