This weekend was spent with only my family high in the mountains of Colorado, over one hour away from the Internet connectivity.
We spent our time together in some of the most valuable ways possible. We walked, made fires, talked, used vault toilets, slept as it rained, told stories, played in a small & nearly empty lake, read books, played Uno, reminisced, and rested, rested, rested.
Did I mention one hour away from any possibility to connect to the Internet? All of the rest and family connection was made enhanced by the freedom from that thing.
Rest. Connection.
In a western society of ACHIEVEMENT and DRIVE and MORE, we are hearing more voices encourage rest, sleep, connection, being in relationship, having less, doing less.
I am one of those voices. A lot of my success and my happiness – not to mention my sanity – is built upon rest and connection.
I have never stayed up all night & regularly clock 8 hours or more (and naps!). The last time I moved, all of my clothing and shoes fit into four large boxes (the American average, I was told, is 10). My mindfulness practice is nearly as old as my youngest child. “No is a full sentence,” is a mantra.
Yet.
My arm aches because I am on my mobile too much. I took social media off it … and replaced it with card game apps with AI. So, yeah, that didn’t help.
I miss my daughter’s goofiness and my son’s half-smiles because I look up and away from something I won’t ever remember a half-second too late. Perhaps I wouldn’t remember that specific moment of goofiness or that specific half-smile but I would deepen our connection.
And more.
I reject perfect — I mean, the Dalai Llama said he is still working on compassion — and this weekend reminded me that rest and connection and freedom from the Internet are continuing practices to build.
I aim for a long, full life. I aim to slide into death all used up with laughter and loss and joy and forgiveness.
Which requires me to rest and connect so that I can sustain this energy, this purpose, this impact. So that I can be an imperfect role model, learning from other imperfect role models.
Building practices is a life-long effort. May it be a blessing and may it be very, very, very long.
How about you? What practices are you building?
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