Softening Sunday

Ah, Sundays.

I've learned to give myself a break - around writing and a great many other things. 

Sundays are usually very long days for me at work. They start around 5 am, and I really put myself out there. Today it was two worship services, teaching a class, an hour-long reception, and then a three-hour meeting with generative conversations. I'm beginning my work with the transition team of this congregation and the beginning is always a lot of work. It's great work. And it's intensive. Today was the second meeting. Our synod promised this congregation an abbreviated process, and so there is more pressure. We're planning the first transformational event for late in September.

When I get home there are usually a few hours of rest. I don't even think about it any more. I simply sink into the chaise and allow myself to rest - body, mind, and spirit. I perk up around 7 or 8 pm and start thinking about dinner. Tonight I'm making a shrimp and sweet potato curry masala. I get wonderful home-made sauces from an Indian woman at the farmers market. It's my version of fast food. And it is fantastic. 

So, I've got rice cooking and the sauce simmering. 

I have to motivate to take out the trash. Both collection days follow very long days at work. I got things set up yesterday so I just had to take the bag outside. I spent a few minutes looking longingly at Mars. He is shining brightly in the night sky. An orange point of light. Simply beautiful. 

I've got a list of things I'd like to accomplish this week in one of my journals. At some point I'm going to look at it. Probably not tonight. Maybe tonight. I'd love to simply discipline myself to trust that I've set myself up well for the week and let myself simply rest tonight. I meditated this morning so all I really need to do tonight is go to bed when I want to. 

In the meantime, I'm watching Star Trek. We've got a station that has all the series one after the other every evening. I've slipped into the stream with Deep Space Nine. Voyager will follow, but hopefully I'll be headed to bed before it starts. I'm in the flow of the book I'm reading, Mary  Shelley's Frankenstein, and I'd like to spend some time reading before I go to sleep. It's a bit of a strange choice before bedtime. Not because it is particularly violent or scary, but because there are some very difficult emotions and situations that are explored. Fortunately, the way she wrote it is so dramatic as to be almost humorous, but the suffering of everyone involved can be disturbing.

 I think the hardest part of reading the book is having to be the compassionate witness and wanting to get the characters to make different choices. 

The timer has gone off and I've returned with my dinner. I don't like to eat in front of the TV, but the episode is a good one and I'm going to do it. So time to sign off and enjoy the amazing tastes and textures.

Life is good. 

The Summer of Self-Love is a daily writing practice created to harness three months for thriving. The goal at the end is to host a dinner party. Sounds like an odd Hero's Journey, doesn't it? Most of them usually are.