Ahhhh, Winter Break. I often take the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve off as a time of renewal and relaxation. This year, it was sorely needed. Despite working at home for the past ten months and settling into a new rhythm with time to focus inward, I needed a respite from my job’s constant focus and relentless deadlines. And even though I haven’t traveled anywhere, physically at least, this winter pause has been so rejuvenating.
Breakthroughs include:
- Napping whenever I wanted to; sleeping in without an alarm clock. Such freedom! (You have heard the preaching of our lady The Nap Minister, have you not?)
- Reading the magical novel, The Night Circus cover to cover in just 3 days (and a few late nights.)
- Solidifying my new practice of writing each morning upon waking (ala The Artists Way), Lectio Devina (currently with Untie the Strong Woman by my teacher Clarissa Pinkola Estés) and moving my body in delicious ways (with Misty Tripoli and the crew at Body Grove online.)
- Painting our kitchen closet doors, the final piece of our remodel that was mostly done over a year ago. Completion feels so satisfying.
- Gathering twice (and a third time tomorrow) with The Hag Ways Collective for journeys of body prayer, poetry writing, fire scrying and other magical practices.
- Stumbling upon Freemix.com, an online collage program, and playing with images for hours.
- Scrambling to grab my Black Lives Matter sign and rushing outdoors to cheer the BLM Car Rally honking past my doorstep.
- Pulling at loose threads and winding my way to just the right information I need to heal a trauma in my past. Thank you to wayfinder and artist Jonathan Stalls and the words of community healer Montincue Connally.
- Walking around a frozen lake with my husband and having a young buck deer gaze at us with large brown ears twitching and new antlers sprouting, cautious and hungry.
- Meeting with dear ones (albeit online) for a dose of inspiration, candlelight and pure breath with the Soul2Soul Facing Racism Alumni group.
- Deciding on Medium as my platform and finally writing these and other musings.
- Having a friend commemorate 2020 by sending me, literally in the mail, her last FUCK to give.
A wild and beautiful week of memories to take with me as I plunge back into the work world next week.
~🌔
I’d love to hear what you did over winter break…reach out at moonfood@jaderabbit.net.
