I think back to when I was of elementary school-age and recall Sundays being ever so long. Everything stood still on Sundays--no stores were open, traffic was light in town, and few "if any" events took place. The town welcomed a day of leisure--it truly was a day of rest for the adults. But like a young child who fights a nap because there's so much to do, I yearned for the busyness of Monday--looking back, it was the desired pace for one so young.
Now I look forward to Sundays. I know each day is a gift, but so much these days is about being busy 24/7--it's hard differentiating one day's pace from another. For a number of years now Sunday has been a "day of rest" in our home. It's exactly what the Divine Physician ordered--and I'm taking His advice.
Sunday meals are leftovers, or something equally as simple. No laundry, no mowing, no cleaning--everything is put on hold. It's a day where I look forward to quiet. It may be visiting with family, taking a walk, riding a bike, reading a book, or just sitting and not being made to feel guilty--it's what the Doctor prescribed, so I can't be faulted. Yes, there may be times when something demands differently, but unless it's an emergency, the "Closed" sign is in the window.
This past Sunday I picked up the colored pencils--it's been over a month now since I've done any drawing; as my daughter was involved in some hand sewing, I attempted sketching her. I trying to finish up George MacDonald's Lilith--I've delved into a number of his books and adding more to my list: I can't get enough of his writing. And then I worked a little bit on the Immaculate Heart embroidery--ugh, color is not an area I'm comfortable with and "long and short" stitches need waaaaaaaaaay more practice.
But it was Sunday. It was a quiet day. A restful day. And after such a blessed breather, "I'm ready for you, Monday."
2 comments:
Very insightful post. I think you have hit the nail on the head, so to speak, when you mention "guilt". It seems that by today's standards, if you aren't busy 24/7 you are somehow remiss. I remember those Sundays of my childhood -- they were so quiet and long and many times boring in my childish mind. However, that is when I would sit and read and never felt like I should be doing something else. I think that we should have more Sundays like that now. Why do we need it less now? I think we probably need it more. I feel our lives are so much more stressed now than they were then -- we should all harken back to those lazy, quiet Sundays and I think we would all do ourselves good if we put the technology aside for that one day. I love the sketch of your daughter, by the way.
Thank you, Boyette, for your always kind words about the sketch. It's hard to imagine now, that there ever was a day when everything was put on hold. Perhaps a younger generation will begin a movement to return to a day of rest--24/7 can't go on forever. And unplugging from technology for a day, it's the one thing we do have control over: the off button :)
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