Kate Bowler has this wonderful little book, No Cure for Being Human. In it she has this little page of Cliches we hear and truths we need. " Things People Say: Carpe diem! A More Complicated Truth: I mean yes, unless you need a nap." I just love the honesty with which she tells her story. The story of what it means to be human.
Our world is so busy telling us what we need. You need to get fit, you need to sleep more, you need to eat this, drink that. You need to have this supplement, this hairstyle, this dress. It is inundating and overwhelming. I think one of the gifts that comes with age is the ability to focus on what's truly a need. I was finding myself caught up in the self-help messages telling me I need to wake up at 4:30am to start my days. Well, that is not happening. I get up early enough. I don't need to get up earlier. I can do my fitness routine at 4:30 pm and that is just fine. And by fitness routine, I usually mean lying down on a cushy mat, with a rolled-up towel for support and I lie there and stretch and breathe. It's wonderful. I don't need to follow someone else's regimen to feel better - I need to pay attention to my own body and what feels right to me. Maybe I need to sleep later because I was sleep deprived for all those years with babies and toddlers. Maybe my blood pressure just needs me to wake up slowly. Maybe I need the 4:30 pm routine to wash out the stress of the day. Whatever the reason, I'm paying attention to what I need.
Why do we do this during Lent? Because the first step to healing the world is healing within us. The world and humanity need us at our best before we can be of service. With self-reflection comes the ability to focus on what we need. We can pay attention to cues from our body and our spirit on what would fill us. What are your needs today? Don't think of this as self-ish time. It's self-care time. Today I hope you can focus on what you need, whatever it might be.
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