the need to readjust (By Laura)

It's fall.  This is a lovely, beautiful season.  It is filled with the scent of pumpkin and turkey and apples and all sorts of heart-warming foods.  It is filled with the smell of crunch, dry leaves, the feel of the cold air on your face as you step out the door, the sharpness of a slowly distancing sun.

It's also a season of readjusting to a different pace.  The school year begins, and in many ways beyond school, rhythms take on a new importance.  In my life, the new school year, the end of summer galavanting, and the close of the warm season mark a distinct change of pace.

We had a wonderful summer.  Really, it was so nice.  We went away weekend after weekend to fun activities like camping, family reunions, meet-ups with friends and little family adventures.  The weather was beautiful, the roads were welcoming, and we did as many fun and exciting things as we could.  But in spite of the fact that we homeschool, and in spite of the fact that we like to buck the trends of society, fall brought with it a need to hunker down at home, organize ourselves, set some goals, plan curriculums, register for extracurricular activities, and dedicate ourselves once again to work and life as it is during much of the year.

With all this readjustment to a more grounded rhythm comes a lot of work.  Helping the girls adjust to new classes, teachers, environments, schoolwork, and grade-levels takes a lot of energy.  Booking appointments that have been put off through the summer, being intentional about spending time with close friends, Ryan getting into the busier season at work, myself getting into a more organized rhythm of connection with my clients, trying to force myself out of bed before the rest of the family to carve out some alone time - all this takes energy and ends up making me feel like I'm just barely staying on top of things.  

Thankfully this hectic time doesn't last forever.  It's now mid-October and I'm feeling the weight of the readjustment lifting.  I'm feeling the rhythms become more natural, more habitual, and it's a nice relief!  Going through this again though, as I do every year, is a really good reminder that it is so easy for life to become filled to the brim with all sorts of stuff, and that I need to keep myself in check and try and keep my schedule and commitments on the simpler side.

You see, this is just another way to live more simply!  Over the past five years or so, I've gone through some ups and downs that have really taught me about my own personal limits, that I have a hard time saying no (not out of guilt, but out of desire to be a helper wherever there's a need), that I NEED to carve out time for myself and that I needn't apologize for that.  These lessons have taught me about a slower, simpler way of being, and it's a rich lesson to learn.  If I carve out space, or rather, create a rhythm that involves space from the get-go, I am a much more content, fulfilled and peaceful person.  If I fail to do that, as I have been in the pattern of doing since my first daughter was born, I end up being agitated, anxious, unhealthily impulsive, and moody.  It's not fun to be that person, nor is it fun to be around her.  

So as the wildness of the fall readjustment wanes, I am also trying to readjust my priorities to reflect that which I truly value: time with my family, time by myself, time serving others, time connecting with those around me.

Wish me much luck, and have a lovely remainder of October.  xoxo

*I hate to post artwork without naming the artist, but this is an image of a painting that I collected somewhere long ago and don't know the artist's name.  If you know it, do let me know!