Week 5: Restful ME (Member Photos)
As always, I am so impressed by the talented women taking part in this project. Each one brings something unique and special to the group, and I am so thankful that they are making the commitment this year to get in the frame.
Women have a hard time "resting". There are children to care for, work to be done, to do lists to cross off. We sometimes forget how important it is to rest... to rejuvenate not just our bodies, but our minds, our thoughts, and our souls.
"Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest". (Ashleigh Brilliant)
Emily Ingalls - "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want." ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes. Rest has become a luxury as of late. I remember the 'before children' days and long for all the free time and nothing time I wasted. Rest is now collapsing on the bed for .5 seconds in the warm winter sun before a little one finds and needs me. But in that .5 seconds, I find peace knowing one day I'll miss being needed and wanted by my children. Until then, my state of brief nothingness is Restful ME.
Eboni Rivera- She's only been a part of our family for 2 months now - I never thought I'd be a dog lover but when we are alone together, I feel totally at peace… I love her. This is restful me.
Kortney Fox- Rest...what is this word you speak of? I don't know if I have ever really "rested". When I was younger I was always on the move, bouncing from house to school to the barn every day. As an adult priorities of course changed, but I was always doing something, whether it be crafting, gardening, riding, cleaning, laundry, the list is never ending. I would almost feel guilty about taking a break. Late to bed and early to rise. As a wife and mother my list has quadrupled. Even if I do try to take a break for just a moment, well, this happens...gotta love my littles (even the mischievous one in the background playing with the blinds)!
Angie Kerins- Like so many of us, the days from sun up to sun down are just non stop. I am an online teacher which means I spend the majority of my time in front of a computer screen. I also have a photography business in addition to thousand side photography projects I have going on at once. Which means....more screen time. When I'm not on the computer, or the phone, or the tablet, I am caring for 3 little ones. It's a whirlwind most days. I find that even in my own bed, I'm restless. Every so often, when the hubby falls asleep early, the kids are in their own beds, and the house is quiet...I am able to sneak away and enjoy the soothing comfort of a warm bath. No electronic devices, no kiddos, no noise. Just the water, the bubbles, and my thoughts. It's the one place I can just be.
Carol Holt- I'm the most restful when I'm taking pictures of scenery. I feel like I just get lost in it...It excites me and energizes me after...kind of like taking a power nap lol. I woke up around 7 to the biggest waves hitting our deck and my 17-40L was on my camera still so here is my shadow off to the side!
Cai Vail- "Does he sleep through the night yet?" they ask. Nope, I answer defiantly, not once. It's been over a year now since *I* slept all the way through a night uninterrupted. Something about the question sounds pitying, even offensive, as if I must be failing because I haven't "trained" my child yet to sleep for 10 consecutive hours. I nod blankly at their unbidden advice. That's fine. I can live without sleep. It's the constant touch, need, loss of independence that comes with motherhood that claws at me, no matter how willing I am to give of myself. Little by little I'm regaining my selfhood in brief moments here and there; stretching at the gym, sitting in the parked car after meeting with a client, in the shower while my son sits by my feet splashing busily - I close my eyes and collect all the scattered pieces.
Sara Lowing-Wright- If I get the opportunity to be snuggled up on the couch with my doggie, aka my 'first child', then that means I'm home alone. If I were to cuddle with my dear dog while my children were home as well, they would be climbing on us as if we were mountains. I feel a kinship with my dog, Ruby, she is the only other female in my household of boys. She gets hounded by the kids almost as much as I do. So when they are away; we stop, grab a blanket, and be still. It may only be for a few moments, but those moments are lovely and rejuvenating.
Michelle Sargent- Those rare moments when they BOTH nap.
Elena Pendell- As a mom of three lovely little ones, resting is not usually on the to do list. There are dishes and cleaning, or someone that needs me, or another doctor's appointment, or volunteering in the classroom. I rarely make it through a meal without hopping up to grab something. I never make it through the night without being woken up. But there is this magical time - when I first lie down in bed. I pull the covers up to my nose (drives my husband crazy) and breathe. I swear I can feel my body just melting into the mattress. I survived another day and my reward is a bit of rest.
Sofia Di Trapani- Rest! What a beautiful word. For so long I stood "on the other side of the fence" watching everyone else play their game. Only wishing one day I could be one of them. So, I worked really hard to achieve my goals and dreams. My success, however, never satisfied me. Today, I'm a wife and a mom; there's no room for anything else in my life. So, I keep standing on the other side of the fence as I wonder, "Should I be doing more?" When I see people doing amazing things with their lives and families, I can't help to think, "Perhaps I need to be part of a greater cause." The funny thing is the harder I try to be or do more, the more I fail. Perhaps, I just need to rest and enjoy the life I have. So, I will dare to speak to myself some liberating words, "I believe in Christ. He has made me all I need to be. I'm right before him, I'm a princess, I'm flawless, I am a loved daughter; full of favor and grace. So just rest!"
Jenny Parker- My husband and I had to make a quick trip out of town this week. I took a minute to enjoy my coffee and reflect on the day ahead...his grandmother's funeral. Baby boy stayed at home with his khaki (my mom), so I had several nice, quiet moments to enjoy my mother-in-laws clean house and good cup of coffee.
Christine Wright- This is probably as close as I get to being 'restful' when the kids are awake. I am in the photo, I swear. The kids will often vie to lay on the couch beside me when I actually do lay down, then the other two will pile on top of me in some uncomfortable way or another.
