September Mama Message
“We should always allow some time to elapse, for time discloses the truth."
- Seneca
As September draws to a close I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time at the lake relaxing with family. I feel as if I have been given a gift of a little window of time… away from the bustle of education, work, news, and deadlines. I can sense that my body needs this relaxation… this respite.
I have reminded mamas often of the importance of taking time for themselves, and I have done this myself many times. Yet this time feels different; more thoughtful and protective. Maybe it is the lens of age, or of being the grandmother, but it takes on greater importance. Maybe it is a sign of our times as we add tasks and obligations relentlessly. Perhaps it is because of all the contrived distractions that pull us from real life…or maybe I just overdid it for awhile.
Yet this respite has brought me solidly into the present. I am noticing the sky, the waves, the laughter, the scents… much more deeply and with greater appreciation. Maybe it is time that is disclosing the truth, as Seneca says. My truth is that I need this time in nature, with family, with myself. Another truth is that we need to work on being present in the precious moments that we have. We are pulled continuously these days, and it is affecting our health, the health of our families, and the health of our communities. We need to get conscious about the way we spend the moments of our days.
Of course we need to eat healthfully, exercise regularly, manage stress, sleep optimally, and reduce our exposure to toxins. We need to work in careers that fulfill us and that we are passionate about. We need to do the laundry, feed our families, clean the house, and educate ourselves, and our children. We need to have fun, and laugh, and fill our lives with people and activities that we love. Yet I am also suggesting that we look at whether we are adding activities that divert and distract and numb us. We may need just a little of this distraction at certain times in our lives. Yet I see daily evidence that we are allowing our moments to slip away in activities that do not fill our souls, and that we are not being truly present with those people that mean the most to us.
These moments are all we have, and we need to protect and honor them. We can savor each child’s smile and laugh, or we can overlook them in the daily round of distractions. As I listen to the waves lapping on the beach, and watch the sky change moment by moment, I am reminded that there is nothing more important than paying attention to that which is immediately in front of us. It is there that the truth will be disclosed.