In Praise of Idleness

I was idle today. I went back and forth between my chair on the deck and my bed. I did nothing. I listened to the birds sing. I soaked in the sunshine. I watched a show on Netflix. I laughed at the dogs' antics. I did not even make food until late in the afternoon when I made a simple 1 dish meal and told everyone to eat when they were hungry and clean up after themselves.

I felt not even a twinge of guilt. I love to move slowly and see the everyday beauty around me. Most of the time I try to do this regularly, but the last few weeks have been busy. I have been at the store 6 days a week for much longer days than I normally spend there. I know it is a season and it is needed, but I do not like to feel depleted at the end of a work day. So today was a day of rest.

Living with chronic pain has taught me that life is richer and more beautiful when you move more slowly and deliberately through the day. I am so grateful for this lesson that I can {sometimes} even be grateful for the pain. 

In 2021 and now so far in 2022 I have taken and posted a photo each day. I have an Instagram account just for these photos. At the end of 2021 I printed a photo book of all of the photos from the year. It is amazing what a lovely life we lead! You just have to slow down enough to see the beauty.

In Japan they celebrate the holiday Hanami, which translates to flower viewing. It is literally a holiday dedicated to enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms. It is basically having a holiday dedicated to "stopping to smell the roses." I feel like we don't do so well with this in the US. We rush from task to task, piling more and more stress on ourselves until we are burned out and miserable.

And that is where idleness comes in. I wouldn't want days like this one every day, but I sure enjoy one every once in a while! I believe in moving slowly and breathing deeply and enjoying the gifts God has given us. Try it, you may just discover your life is richer for it!

Also, Riley knows how to relax and enjoy life, as evidenced in these photos!