Take Your Mark….
Get set…..GO!
I don’t know if it is just because I have kids, but this time of year can feel a bit like putting my feet in the starting blocks and waiting for the bell to sound. Everything begins; school, piano, soccer…but more directly for me; routine, schedule, many more work and church rhythms kick into gear and overall there is much, much more sameness week to week.
Many of you may be much further from the academic cycle than me. I’ve spent my entire professional life attached to college students, and then having children myself took that fall cycle to a whole new level. It’s an awkward feeling, getting in these starting blocks because once the gun fires, there is a way in which things actually slow down. Even if there is increased activity, the routine normalizes life, as if God knew we couldn’t live forever with the lack of structure that summertime can bring.
The routine of fall opens up new possibilities. For me, there is more solitude built into my days with the kids at school. I’m looking forward to being and listening in the quiet. If I’m attentive to the Spirit and to myself, I’ll bet there is a lot of debriefing of this summer to be done!
What will the new season open up for you?
2 Responses
yes, the routine and schedules are helpful.
Retirement resembles summer. It requires active management and discipline to not overcommit or worse yet, become unmotivated and self absorbed. The lack of structure and myriad options can be disorienting and downright painful, with little satisfying authentic rest or solitude. But there is delight in the freedom and ability to invest generously in diverse causes and activities.