A long weekend approaches and the weatherman is predicting four days of rain. I believe it was Mark Twain who remarked that everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.
It seems to me it wasn’t that many weeks ago that our lawns were burned brown, our forests were hosting raging fires and the crowd at Tim Hortons was suggesting that a little rain would be a good thing.
Be careful what you ask for.
I think this weekend of rain is a good thing, a sign to slow down. Just after Thanksgiving we all start to run downhill at an ever increasing speed. Halloween looms up and then daylight savings ends and the Christmas decorations appear. In no time at all we are reading the flyers for the Boxing Day sales and planning our New Year celebrations. Like a runaway train, we have no way of stopping it.
So take the long weekend off, don’t do anything but watch sports, new episodes of your favourite shows or a movie you missed. Eat too much, sleep in and wear old comfy clothes all weekend. Housework can wait and yard work will be out of the question.
Go to the mall and just wander around aimlessly or stop in on someone you haven’t seen for a while. Real friends don’t care what your house looks like as long as you have hot coffee or cold wine and lively conversation.
Three quarters of the year have gone by, so maybe take some time to do a personal inventory. How are doing? Are you healthy or should you be looking after something mentally or physically?
Have you had your annual checkup? Is there and eye appointment or a dentist appointment you should make? Jot down some dates and make some phone calls next week. You can’t look after others if you don’t look after yourself.
If there are people relying on you, show them that you can continue to do so.
Go for at least one walk in the rain. We get too comfortable, we stay too warm and dry. Getting wet and cold once in a while reminds us just how thankful we should be. Take an umbrella, put on some rubber boots and stroll through the Cranberry Festival in Fort Langley.
Check in with those relatives you have been neglecting. Make a long distance phone call, send an e-mail or, better yet, some flowers.
Believe it or not, there are experts in rest, relaxation and recovery who tell us that, despite the incredible power and potential of sacred spaces, quiet spots where we can hide, they are quickly becoming extinct. We are depriving ourselves of every opportunity for disconnection, and our imaginations suffer the consequences.
Because we feel the need to be constantly connected, it is like being at work during all our waking hours.
I think they are talking about nap time here, and when was the last time you just plopped down on the couch and had an afternoon nap? Knowing now that a quiet respite is recommended by relaxation experts, you can justify sleeping in the middle of a Sunday afternoon.
Take it easy this weekend, put yourself in the battery charger so you’re ready for the long days ahead. Don’t forget to give thanks and if you’re not sure what to say thanks for, just be thankful you live in Canada.
At least that’s what McGregor says.