March is traditionally our family’s busiest month and this year had the added bonus of Easter and my father’s retirement from more than 20 years of pastoral ministry. As a result, I did a ton, except write, edit or honestly most of my personal self-care in March and we rolled right into April with a trip to upstate New York for the eclipse and I blinked and suddenly it’s almost May. Wow.
Loved
I had some trepidation about my dad’s retirement service. He’s been associate pastor for more than two decades but served in many other ministry capacities over the years. More often than not he’s not the guy in the spotlight but he often gets plenty of blame and criticism.
Been publicly heckled during a sermon: Check
Attended funerals where the family refused to speak to him: Check
Been kicked out of hospital rooms by family members of the dying: Check
Had numerous congregants vent their vitriol at him when they asked for counseling and he told them honestly and kindly what the problem was: Check
What I wanted most was for him to see, if only in a small way, what all his years of service have accomplished.
I was honestly blown away. From surprises like the spontaneous reunion of their bluegrass band and my dad being pulled on stage to join them to the testimonies shared at the reception. It was an amazing and incredibly fun day and despite the many tears I would do it again in a heart beat.
I also loved pulling out my spring clothes to wear. I’ve slowly built wardrobe of clothes that I love to wear. It’s not a capsule, but I wear 80% of what’s in my closet on the regular depending on the season. So it has brought be a great deal of joy to pull out my favorite spring dresses and tops and to wear flats with no socks.
Accomplished
There have been a couple initiatives at work that I’ve been working towards and one got approved this month. It’s amazing how something like that can renew your passion for your work. I mostly love my job but sometimes it feels stagnant and frustrating so the opportunity to help our organization grow (hopefully in a healthy way) is revitalizing. It makes me feel like I’m actually making a difference with my work.
I may be officially done with my novel! I’ve said I’m almost done for the last 6 months but I’ve been feeding the last of it to my writer’s group a few scenes at a time and I feel like it’s time to schedule a full manuscript critique.
Improved Upon
The chaos, lovely though much of it was, of the past two months (and if I’m honest the last six months) has meant that I have lost my self-care groove.
I’ve also noticed that stress has left my brain incredibly distractable. I have trouble paying attention to things I care about but I’m quickly pulled into time wasting activities like mindless scrolling.
I’m trying to more deliberately plan for my relaxing activities, the real ones that give me life, or choosing rest like going to bed early so that I have the energy to do the things I really enjoy.
Noticed
Our boys pediatrician died about a month ago. I was surprised by how much I was broken up by it. I didn’t know him very well personally. He’d only been my older son’s doctor for a few years and had only seen my youngest once or twice. But I noticed the way he tried to involve my kids and us in their health. The way he always had positive things to say about my sons and lifted them up, when others would only have seen their struggles. We always left feeling better no matter the reason we came in.
I want to be that kind of person. The kind who notices what people really need, the things they aren’t saying and then figures out how to support them.
I’ve also noticed how much I come alive this time of year. I really do enjoy all four seasons (when we get them) but when the flowers start to come up, the weather warms and the sun stays out longer, I notice how much more optimistic I feel. Once summer barrels in with it’s high temps and humidity, I’ll be happy when fall approaches. But right now, I’m loving every minute of the sunny, spring days for the next couple of weeks.
So that’s April (and a bit of March.) May is usually busy but I’m looking forward to it this year. I’m going to try to do a better job of carving out things that give me life and pick up some of that self-care that I have been forgetting.
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