Lazy Days

Remember those Countrytime Lemonade commercials? The ones with kids swinging on tires, grandparents drinking juice on porches, and sun slanting through oak trees? The kind of commercials that remind you of every story you ever read about the way a lazy, happy summer is supposed to unfold.

Saturday felt like that. And it felt like a real accomplishment. Here's why:

I often have a period of free time come to a close and think, 'why wasn't that more satisfying? Why is it 'a little of this and a little of that' later and I feel like it slipped right through my fingers?" It's like I really want to grab the time off by the proverbial horns and use it in the best way possible. I do myself in with expectations.

So last Saturday arrived with particularly awesome possibilities: the first sunny Saturday in weeks, and nothing on the agenda all the livelong day. At 9:30 am, we looked at each other and said, 'let's get out of the house'. We decided to call hubby's parents to see if they would mind us crashing their Saturday. They are the loveliest of company, have a wonderful backyard, and live close to the Mt. Vernon Estate. It sounded like a great combination.

We were down there by mid-morning. E was running circles around their yard before we could say 'naptime'. Limeaid in hand, we all sat down on the porch to watch her. And then we stayed there. All day. Forget Mt. Vernon. We went with: Easy conversation, breaks for lunch, a few chores, naptime, hours stretching on. A bowl of ice cream. Total relaxation. Sitting, sitting, sitting on the porch.

The evening sun started to soften and it was time to pack up. My whole body felt happy and satisfied like it does when I close the cover to a particularly lovely book. Or after finishing a to-do list. Honestly, in the most marvelous of ways, the day felt productive.

One of my attendings once told me about an article he had read. It described how bad Americans are at relaxing. When we see an opening in our schedule, we rush to fill it. Instead, he asserted, we need to schedule down time. True down time.

And after seeing how good this day was for my soul, I want you all to try it.

Doctor's Orders. :)

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My Easter Delight: