Monday, July 26, 2010

Home Again




My intention was to pack up and drive home on Friday, but instead, I headed home Thursday afternoon. A friend who came for an overnight left Thursday noon, and my hope was to have one more afternoon on the dock reading and writing, but what appeared to be an all-day soaker drowned that plan. All of a sudden I knew I was done. It was time to be home and to let the fruits of the month in Door County be harvested. Within an hour and a half I had packed up everything and dropped off the keys and was on the road. How good to sleep in our own bed--no damp sheets! How good to get the laundry chugging along. How good to have all Friday to unpack and re-enter.

When I lead retreats, I always include time at the end for participants to think about their re-entry. What awaits you at home? What do you most want to bring with you from the retreat? How will you integrate the lessons and ideas from the retreat time? How receptive will your loved ones be to your experience? True, my month in Door County wasn't really a retreat, but I did have open time to reflect on the questions I brought with me and time to listen to promptings from Spirit. Since my drive home through intense thunder storms required more concentration than reflection time, I didn't respond to my own end-of-retreat questions. The lingering question of "what now?" didn't take long to reappear, however. How would my retreat time manifest itself in home time?


Here's my answer: Here I am. In my office, writing this blog. It is Monday morning and instead of doing errands (I had a month of the only errand being occasional trips to the grocery store. How is that possible?), I am in my office writing. I have been to Curves. I have walked. I have had my devotion time. And now I am here. True, I have done one load of laundry and emptied the dishwasher, but I am not paying attention to the vacuuming that should be done on the first floor. Nor am I making the phone calls on my list. Errands, hometending, and life-organizing phone calls can wait till the afternoon.


Mornings are for writing. I repeat, mornings are for writing!

Another decision. I have moved my laptop from my kitchen desk on the main floor to my office desk on the lower level. This is now my default location. I suspect I will be running down here a lot to check my emails, but not only will that get me in my office more, I suspect, eventually, emailing will have a more balanced rhythm in my life. A good thing. I'll let you know.



2 comments:

  1. All inspiring posts Nancy. Are you still working on the grief essays? I too (during the summer) try so hard to make mornings for writing. sometimes it actually happens. Our little group has really fallen apart. Amy just moved to NJ and Dan is getting married!! I miss them (and you) SO much. I am still working on The Desire Path and I believe it keeps getting better! An agent is slightly interested!

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  2. Maybe I should stitch "Mornings are for writing" It takes real discipline, especially this monday morning to write when all the "duties" could be calling you. It also speaks to me that you write over crossing things off the "list". Keep it up, you have such a gift. Amy

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