I want to take you on a little walk down my memory lane, maybe you have memories like this too. Take a moment to imagine. I often remember when I was a little girl and there were miles and miles of fields and forest behind our house. In that forest were trees that were begging for me to climb them. The best trees for climbing were always the ones that had long, thick branches that hung low and stretched out over the world below. I would shimmy up the trunk a bit and pull myself up until I reached the branch that looked the best for resting, one with a view. I would carefully balance my way out on the branch with each careful step and then lower myself down to sit for a little while. I would rest and take a deep breath. The work to get to the place of rest was...work. The rest itself was so rewarding. The view was always worth it.

Photo by Rob Mulally on Unsplash

Remembering to take time to rest is one of the most challenging feats there is as a parent, our work never stops. There is always someone needing something from us, always. Trying to meet everyone's needs is impossible and can feel a lot like climbing to the best branch and getting there only to find that someone needed us below before we even had a chance to sit. We often try to work through our days and weeks without losing our balance, but when we carry so much on us, it is very hard to keep balanced. Still, resting is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and our sanity. Resting and having a day dedicated to rest is so important. Why do we insist on skipping rest? Do we feel guilty? Do we feel lazy and unproductive? Maybe there is more to it that we should consider.

Rest isn't just taking time for a breather. It has a greater purpose. That greater purpose is to show our families just how important rest can be and they also develop the desire to just be still for a bit. We just aren't meant to live at the pace of the world. The world in all its restlessness can be draining and take time away from those who are most important in our lives. We are human and we try to skip rest on the regular when the parenting pressures are on. Most of us can barely imagine what good rest looks like. Without rest though, we can fall into a trap of living for what the world says is important rather than pausing and taking in what is most important, what is right in front of us, our family. We have to find a way to rest and rebalance. We need a day that is at a slower pace and one that looks different from the rest.

What would a day of rest for you look like for you and your family if could design your entire day? Pencil in some of those days in your calendar. Making them a priority will be worth it.