Welcome to Pushing Pause! A bi-weekly newsletter offering you an invitation to push pause and explore faith, rest, and beauty in the every day moments of life. Sign up below to have this newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Well, hello! We’ve got one foot in the doorway to a new season and this week will bring the official start of fall here in the northern hemisphere. If you have kids, you’ve likely been feeling the tension of the new season as you shed the low-key summer days for the more structured rhythms of school, activities, and earlier bedtimes. Perhaps you’re adjusting to this new season after having sent a child off to college or are transitioning to a new job or position yourself. Each new season of the calendar also seems to correlate with new beginnings, endings, or changes for us personally. It’s a good time to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed. Or maybe if your season is so full, hard, or overwhelming it’s a good time to grab a favorite beverage, light a seasonal candle, and just relax for a bit…or take a nap.
With the changes of the seasons we have a tendency to want to create systems, overhaul our rhythms, find solutions, and tweak everything from our laundry routine to our wardrobe. The new season energy can be big energy that serves us well but it can also be exhausting.
Don’t underestimate the value of rest in the transition of seasons. Yes, we may need to rethink our schedule and find solutions to how we’ll get everything done but we also need to factor in our limits and our capacity. In all of our seasonal changes we are a human in need of care and rhythms that honor our unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. As changes come and adaptions are necessary, be gentle with yourself. You don’t have to overhaul your life to make it all work. Maybe it means laying something down to remember your own need for rest and enjoyment.
I shared recently on Instagram how the past few months I’ve been feeling more drawn to small moment living and how much I’m reminded that small things matter. I find that I want more of what’s already right here in my life and less of what’s out there for me to pursue. The importance of the small things in my life feels more tender to me right now. I want to soak in the quiet moments of reading in the early mornings on the front bench. I want to remember how it feels to have my teenager ask me to throw the football and then smile when I surprise him with a great pass. I want to sit across the table from friends and feel seen and known and offer the same. I want to talk to my mom on the phone even when we don’t have much to share. I want to show up to my pickleball class and learn with strangers. I want to lay in bed laughing with my husband at something so dumb we would never tell anyone.
The small moments of our daily lives may not seem significant but when we hold them with love they matter and they are shaping us. As you walk into a new season even in the midst of possibly big or hard changes don’t forget the small moments that are right before you.
I’ve been quieter in this space as I haven’t felt that I’ve had much to say. Part of that quiet has come from that desire to soak up the small things and hold them closer while honoring my capacity for productivity and need for rest. Last month I started my second year in a program for certification as a spiritual director. This time of learning and beginning the practice of meeting with a few directees is rewarding and of course challenging as it adds more responsibilities to my schedule. My writing and sharing in this space may be less this season but I’m aiming for once a month.
I hope this step into a new season, whatever it may hold, meets you with kindness, grace for your limits, and small moments that delight you.
Next month I’m going to share a favorite things list, and I can’t wait!
A Practice
Take a few quiet moments to notice what you’re feeling as you move into the fall season. Here are a few questions for consideration:
What’s a word that names how I feel right now as I think about this season of life? There’s no judgment in this word, it’s just naming.
Am I honoring my limits and need for rest? If so, how? If not, what could I do?
What are the small moments I want to pay attention to or hold closer?
As a southerner I’m obligated to say, “Happy fall, ya’ll!”