| Wintering |
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| Wholly Holistics |
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Because I’m a writer, I like to follow others of the same ilk on FB. By definition, writing can be a solitary endeavor and touching base with other writers is vital for sharing ideas, exchanging atta-boy’s and atta-girl’s, and maintaining some semblance of sanity. Yesterday I discovered a timely quote on the homepage of Rebecca Dwight Bruff, talented author of Trouble the Waters, a well-researched fictional account of the life of Civil War hero Robert Smalls, and Stars of Wonder, a magical children’s Christmas adventure. These are not easy times we’re living in, and Rebecca’s post of the words of children’s and family rights advocate and author L.R. Knost seemed to me to address them with the hope that I want the world to feel. “Do not be dismayed by the brokenness in the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” Perhaps a booster shot of this quote could accompany every Covid vaccination, so folks could begin to believe that intention can indeed accomplish wonders. Which it can. As my grandmother used to say, “This, too, shall pass.” But belief can be a stretch in the midst of all we currently face – a pandemic with holiday numbers spiking, political divisiveness in a democracy that once was an inspiration to the rest of the world, escapist travel still a dream away, and wintertime upon us, with beach-friendly temperatures still a season or two hence. What’s a body to do? Wise advice I heard over the weekend on a podcast called “On Being” is to use this time of uncertainty to “winter.” I’ll explain. Animals in the wild prepare for this colder, darker season. Some build body fat and hibernate, some “squirrel” away food for these months during which nature’s bounty isn’t as plentiful, while others migrate to climes more appropriate to filling their bodies’ needs. We humans just bundle up, don our masks, and keep on rockin’ along, thinking that everyone else is better at life than we are. So we try to keep up, all the while proclaiming we don’t have time to slow down, to step off the stress-inducing gerbil wheel of our lives, unless we’re forced to by illness, injury, or catastrophe. By then, we can hope it’s but a wake-up call. Sometimes it is; other times we’re not so fortunate. Should you happen to get sick, take care of yourself as much as possible. The fact that your body was susceptible to illness is a sign for you to pay attention. Though I’ve mentioned this previously, it’s relevant once again. A number of years ago, I had an autoimmune illness called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Though I had to learn to walk again, I was lucky. It was a wake-up call, and I woke up. For several years afterward, I had a limited amount of energy. I learned how to mete it out and then rest to recharge. If I didn’t, I paid for the slip and had to hit the hay for a day or so. Taking a break – even a short one – from a frenetic pace can truly be a godsend. To borrow a military term, try “r’n’r,” i.e. rest and relaxation, while wintering. Though rest is often frowned upon as a weakness and naps thought for babies and children, relaxing should be a part of our cycle of life. More and more research is proving the importance of the quality and quantity of sleep to our mental and physical wellbeing. When Jim Lehrer, onetime anchor for PBS NewsHour, had a heart attack in 1983, his cardiologist prescribed a daily 20-minute nap. This busy journalist followed his doc’s advice faithfully, closed his office door with a “Do Not Disturb” sign prominently displayed, stretched out on his office couch, and napped for the allotted time. Lehrer vowed his quality of life improved markedly. In 2020 he passed away at the ripe old age of 86. Many parents these days are pushed to the limits of their energy, trying to parent, work, virtually educate their kids, all the while being stretched in too many directions. Add to that being depressed about the state of the modern world. At times, it’s more than a body can handle. Learn to listen to your body. If it’s screaming at you, “I’m exhausted. Please lie down for a few minutes,” then set your phone alarm for 15 or 20 minutes, find a quiet corner and get prone. Consider using earplugs if you’re not alone. If you sleep, fine; if not, simply rest your bones for a short time to recharge. Listen to music or an audiobook. For us humans, wintering means using these chillier days to take stock, to reflect on our lives as they are now and to care well for ourselves. Because we’re human, all our lives could stand a little tweaking… some, a lot of it. If you want this new year to shine, set intentions for your ideal version of 2021. And in order to make it all happen, create your best “you” during this wintertime. Treat yourself with kindness, assume your feelings and needs are important, feed yourself healthy food, take walks outside in the Lowcountry sunshine, groove on those flashy camellias, leave those twinkly holiday lights up on your porch, get plenty of rest; read or listen to good books on Hoopla, a freebie of a gift from the Beaufort County Library; meditate (I always have to include this because it’s soothing and so refreshing for your mind andbody); and stay in touch with friends and loved ones by phone or zoom. All of this will help build your manifesting capacities. And remember, the days aregetting longer. Azalea season ison the way. Grab a nap and get enough shuteye. Set your intention(s), focus, look for signs, and trust. You are light. Let it shine all year long. Emulate Nobel Prizewinner Albert Camus, who said, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” |
In the past Facebook was to me a black hole that I could tumble into like Alice down the rabbit hole. I could log on for a peek at a particular page and not emerge until an hour or so later, overstimulated and curious as to where the time had disappeared. Because I value my time, I’ve finally learned to stick to a FB schedule, so I can keep up with things I deem important, without spending time on frivolous minutiae. May it last!