A Quiet Day

There is much to be said for a quiet day at home.

In summer, we have too much to do: yard and garden work, canning and preserving, traveling to storytelling events, family get-togethers all crowd our days. These are all good things. The gardens provide flowers and food, the lawns provide restful spaces, the storytelling brings joy and connections with people I only see once or twice a year, and family gatherings are filled with love, memories and laughter.

All of these are good, but rest and reflection are in short supply in the summer months. So a day of no travel, no calls, no visitors and no commitments is a gift. That does not mean there is no work; it just means that I get to choose what tasks to tackle, and to do them in my own time and at my own pace.

Yesterday was one of those at-home days. It was a day for tea on the porch, a simple breakfast, reading, sorting papers and catching up paperwork; a day of re-arranging some favorite glass pieces, dusting, writing thank-you notes and cleaning the fridge. There was time for pricing items for one of our booths and time for a glass of wine and a video in the evening. There was even time to pet the dogs, pick a few flowers for the house and some apples for a future pie.

Such days restore the soul, don't they? They're nothing special in themselves, and yet they bring a peace that is special and treasured, the knowledge that the world is going on just fine without me as an active participant. I can think and muse and simply enjoy each moment as it comes.

Sometimes I wish I had more days like this, but then I wonder, would they not then become the norm and as such not nearly as appreciated? I thought when I retired that all days would be quiet and restful but I forgot to take myself into consideration. I am not one to sit; things attract me and I get involved and next thing I know I'm neck-deep in busyness. Every hobby becomes work unless I actively resist the urge. So I appreciate these rare quiet days in summer. Winter brings more opportunities but in summer, they're rare and treasured.

Today, I suppose I will be back into the fray. I'll listen to the news, work on my eBay, re-stock a booth, run errands. But yesterday was a gift to savor.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.