Lessons from a Day Off

Robb gave me the day off today. And what a gift it was.

I learned a few new things today, and I was reminded of truths that were tucked away, longing to be remembered.

I learned...

I had ridiculous aspirations for my day. I do the same thing on airline flights; I pack and plan as if two things are true: I will have the attention span of a three year old and the appetite of a sumo wrestler. I give myself many, many options, which turns out to be overwhelming. I had to refine as the day progressed, picking and choosing what I wanted most.

I was reminded that an adults-only lunch is glorious. To have uninterrupted conversation, to be free of bibs and baby wipes, to simply listen and talk and pay the bill at the end… well, it was glorious.

I learned that I have to ease into creativity sometimes. I filled my morning with tasks to complete, but I filled my afternoon with dreams to pursue. In the morning, I made phone calls, typed recipes, wrote thank you notes, and busily crossed items off my to do list. But in the afternoon, I read, and I thought, and I wrote and wrote and wrote. It turns out, my brain needed seven hours of lead time, to unload all the pesky responsibilities... and then I could start to refuel with that which I love most.

I was reminded that Psalms and Philippians are very refreshing to my soul. And shortly after those writers, I love Anne LaMott. That woman inspires me. Her writing makes me want to write; I can hardly focus on reading because I just want to write. That's a masterful author, right there.

I learned that my eyes truly cannot keep up with my brain; my vision hit the point of exhaustion long before my thoughts slowed down, many times throughout the day. That's disappointing, on a daily basis really. But today, it worked out okay in the end; when my vision was giving up the fight, I simply transitioned to a different bookstore or coffee shop. The travel time gave my eyes the time to rest (not because I drive with my eyes closed, but because driving is far easier on my eyes than reading), and the day turned into a progressive tour of some of my favorite places.

I learned that a pumpkin spice frappuccino is a brilliant concoction. Thank you, Starbucks.

I learned that it does not take long for me to miss my boys. Less than two hours, to be exact. But when I receive the gift of an entire day, that's not one I'm willing to cut short. Although I thought many times of coming home early, I stuck it out. I finished strong.

At the end of the day, my cookbook was updated, my phone calls were complete, my thank you notes were written, I had read, I had written, I had thought and thought… but most mportantly: my heart was full.

And I missed my boys. A day off is a miraculous event.

(Thanks, Robb. You are my greatest earthly blessing. Thank you for loving me well.)

Tomorrow, back to real life.