Taking a day, of rest

Taking a day, of rest

I thought I spent yesterday just sitting around.  I try and go visit my next door neighbor a few times a week, she is a very sweet lady who lives alone and gets up as early as I do.  I didn’t see her yesterday and when I visited her this morning, she asked me what I did. “Not much” I told her, then I gave her a few of the muffins that I had made yesterday.  I started talking about how tired I was yesterday and how I tried to take it easy.  Turns out, I really didn’t; take it easy that is.  I made 3 batches of zucchini muffins, weeded 3 flower beds and transplanted a bunch of gloriosa daisies.  By the time 2pm rolled around, I was sitting on my butt.

I help her with her gardening and I asked her if she wanted me to come over tomorrow.  “No” I was told, “it is Sunday; a day of rest.”  That made me think a minute.  As a professional artist, I tend to believe that I need to do something everyday to prove I’m not using my self employment as justification for being lazy.  Sometimes I think I let that push me harder than it should.  I really don’t need to justify myself to anyone.  There will always be people who don’t see everything you do and believe you are a slacker.  Being a professional artist looks a lot like a duck floating on water; calm on the surface and paddling like hell underneath.

My neighbor observed that I was always busy, and I thought I spent a lot of my time not doing much but; again, she was right.  I take weekly trips to my mother’s house to teach classes.  11 times this year I left home to set up at a show, I teach classes at the local art school, do board meetings once a month, serve on other boards and also create art.  Maybe I should take tomorrow and observe a day of rest. 

When you rest, you take the time to consider all of the things you put on your plate.  Some of it good, some of it bad and I need to asses what I have there.  I have a lot of great things, several pretty good things and many things that I should put down.  Life is what you make of it, if it doesn’t fit; make alterations.  So tomorrow, that is what is on my agenda.  A day of rest.