As I sit here on a Saturday evening listening to Storm Ciara strutting her stuff outside, I know that the decision we all made last night to cancel our plans, in the only half an hour we had together, was the right one. At the end of a week of days full of doing, an afternoon and evening of rest is what we all needed.
We have been ships passing in the night this week my husband and I, picking him up from work one evening gave us a rare half an hour together. Although some days it didn't feel like it would, everything slotted together like a jigsaw by focusing on what needed to be done rather than whether it would be possible, several mornings I was preparing our tea/evening meal at 9am. I stifled yawn after yawn driving Cameron to meet a friend for a few hours of mountain biking, we were running late, unsurprisingly, as my brain had pretty much run out of space at this point in the week. I surprised myself by being unfazed by this we are rarely the ones who are late, it was our turn. The wide blue skies made the journey a whole lot easier, whilst Cameron was riding I would walk, the sunshine made the thought of this appealing despite my tiredness.
Running through my week like a ribbon through my life has been the moments spent with friends sharing words and time. Words that have enveloped me like a warm hug as my brain was struggling to process a really difficult and long meeting I sat through one night. Words, unsolicited, that have eased my worries. Time that has helped things to stand still for a pause until movement is necessary again. The connections I have in my life to people, to places have carried me through. It bought me back to some words that I heard on a podcast, about the importance of nurturing these connections and by doing so creating places of sanctuary, protecting, looking out for and after each other, places where we feel safe. Those difficult moments that have punctuated this week have been easier to bear, less of a burden to carry around.
As the storm rages outside, my home is my sanctuary from the weather, keeping us warm and safe. I am really grateful to have such a place, as I have been grateful for the sanctuary of the people and places in my life this week. Storm Ciara is hanging around on Sunday, we shall be resting at home, recharging and resetting our batteries preparing ourselves for the week ahead.
I hope you have sanctuaries in your life too?
Life is like the weather I find - sometimes calm and bright and sometimes tossed about like a boat on a stormy sea - and you are right about needing sanctuary and sometimes we have to drop anchor at home and sometimes we need to take refuge in the places our friends offer. I hope that whatever is causing your storm will soon, like storm Ciara, pass and you will once again be in calm waters.
ReplyDeleteI love what you have written about the weather and life that is so true.
DeleteWhat beautiful words, and how invaluable to have the sort of friends who share their caring words with you.
ReplyDeleteStay safe today, it certainly is wild out there. xx
Thank you, yes I do feel blessed, friendships have to be worked at and it is always time well spent.
DeleteWhen the tiredness eventually takes over and we are forced to stop it can be quite nice, a relief in fact, especially when we are snug and warm at home and we know out in the world there is turmoil but for a few hours we can just forget it all and concentrate on doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteScotland was our sanctuary at one time - still is but the situation with our cottage makes it all rather sad and pressured. Had storm Bertha not flooded our little sanctuary we might have been retired there now. I am hoping storm Ciara doesn't do any further damage. keep warm and safe x
I am sorry to hear that you sanctuary was destroyed by a storm that is a tough one to work through. I hope that you have managed to find somewhere snug and warm during the storms we have been having.
DeleteI agree, those sanctuaries are so important. Mine are when I am reading, cosied up in a quiet and warm corner or crafting, when I lose all sense of time and just stay in the moment. When the weather is more conducive to being outside, gardening and being in nature is another one.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sanctuaries offer you peace to weather the storms.
Best wishes
Ellie
What a perfect balance of places to find sanctuary, I think they are my places too.
DeleteWe sometimes need something to slow us down when life is so busy that it takes over. It's raging out there today, I have no intention of going anywhere in it, I shall stay cosied up indoors.
ReplyDeleteThat is very true Jo, I often think that I should be better at doing this anyway rather than waiting for the weather to be such that I have to.
DeleteSometimes life is just so hectic. My work shifts are never the same from week to week and sometimes I don't know what day it is!! Today is a day off so after John and I managed to get the trike shed upright and secured we've had a cosy day watching snooker and rugby and I've been catching up with some of my crochet too. Best, Jane x
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could cope with not knowing what I was doing at work from one week to another. That must make it hard to plan ahead for anything, but I guess if that is what you do then you get used to it. Glad to hear that you have managed to find a place to be cosy and safe in the storm.
DeleteVery wise words about having friends who are there for you, to watch your back and provide support or a listening ear. Home is a sanctuary and what a blessing to have a safe space to live in.
ReplyDeleteThank you Catherine. A home is a blessing and you are right that we are lucky to have them.
DeleteI hope you are safe and the storm leaves quickly. I am trying to foster my creativity and monitor how I feel my creative soul. This process is my inner sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen. I love the process of your inner sanctuary, I know how import creativity is to you and I am glad that you can make room for it in your life.
DeleteSo much truth in what you write here. I feel like my first priority is always to nurture that sense of sanctuary. Two children with ASD means I've always been mindful of balancing energies and time away with time at home...and I find that we all simply do better when we're held in that balance. My own sanctuary comes, like you say, from weaving the threads of connection - words and conversations, things overheard and things observed. I feel so very fortunate to have such nourishing places to find these things xo
ReplyDeleteThank you Mel. I hadn't thought about things in this way until I heard them spoken in a Podcast they resonated with me so deeply, I felt a real connection to them. We are lucky to have places to find these things and I am glad that they have helped you to find that sense of balance too.
DeleteHearing of you talking of your sanctuary has me feeling relaxed and calm. Lovely, beautiful photo too.xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, I am glad you have enjoyed what you have read here.
DeleteThere is something so beautiful about that word, Sanctuary. My sanctuary is my yoga mat ☆
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