For most of my life, I have worked. A lot.
I have worked all over the country. My work days change week by week. Many days start at 8:00 am and end after midnight. So, when people ask me what I want to do on vacation, my answer is usually something like…”rent two chairs and an umbrella on a beach where they deliver rum runners to my chair”…OR…”find a quiet cabin on a mountainside. There, I can snuggle up with my dog(s). I can also look at the view from a balcony above the clouds.” I guess what I am saying…is REST.
I feel the same way about being at home on my days off…I want a peaceful place to spend time with my husband and dog(s). I need a place to work (my office) that is separate from the rest of my home. And always, a place to REST.
But here’s the thing. When you own a home and there’s a problem with the structure, REST is not allowed. This week has tested my patience and will. I have been overly frustrated with my house, like it did anything. We started with our pool pump failing – followed by replacing and installing it’s replacement. As we made plans for our fourth of July weekend, we were sidetracked when our stove/oven failed. All this while we are working to paint/repair our wood house, which had some ice damming last winter…due to a snow/ice storm…in Florida.
To top it all off, I was up reading a book for my dissertation. I couldn’t put it down, thankfully. It was 2:30 in the morning mid-week when the power in our house started to surge. I recognized the sound (thank you theatre) of the failing of surge protectors. These were both those built into the wall outlets and on strips. So, I dropped my book, woke up Denny, and unplugged EVERYTHING. The next day, the city arrived. They informed us that the power cables to our home were fried. It took about a day to have stable enough power. It was a long time not to have air, appliances, or be unable to charge my computer or phones.
It wasn’t all bad. It was nice to have the quiet that comes with zero power. As the hours ticked by, I found myself angrily focusing looking at the closet doors in my bedroom. Three of the four doors were still standing on an outdated track with rusty screws and tacky 1970 mirrors. I just couldn’t take it. I couldn’t be hot, powerless, in a house I couldn’t leave in case it caught on fire…sound crazy…but the thing I couldn’t take was the lack of REST those closet doors caused me. So, I replaced them.
Last night, with full power (and stability) restored, I slept in a bedroom that offered me REST
I guess I am writing about this because, no matter how stressful life feels at any given time…I need REST. I understand this…and will do what I need to for sweet moments of REST. Including, in the middle of homeowner mayhem…remove old doors.