Ahh, sunny Florida! Vacation paradise extraordinaire! Oh, yes, it’s quite true.  It has been my fortune these past few years to be a full-time resident.  This is not the equivalent of ‘lady of leisure’, however. If not working for a health care agency here, my computer and files and research materials mutely demand what time and brain power I can spare.  

Oh, yes, there remains the question of the title of this missive. Recall if you will a visit to a pet shop where you observed small pets in cages: hamsters, mice, and my favorite – the gerbil. This little creature takes his time on the wheel very seriously. Nothing else will do but to jump onto the wheel, there to run an exhaustive race, day in and day out. Perhaps nature has encoded a necessity for this. To a human being, the little guy is just running in place. Except for the time spent nestled in the cedar shavings or nibbling on a seed or sipping water from its tube, our intrepid gerbil never takes a break from its routine. People are like that too. I am.

It IS a tough proposition to take yourself away from the routine. Any routine! It’s not a good thing to push beyond exhaustion in the name of duty or progress.  Exhaustion of body and mind send us to medical offices because we can’t seem to extricate ourselves from a mindset that punishes us mentally and physically. Gratefully, I recall the individuals who have been sent my way to help me review my activities and prioritize. These same people have been down this type of path. They have suffered the consequences of misplaced guilt and other imperatives that create physical disorders. What I am most grateful for is the realization that people can help people. Each encounter helps the healer and the one seeking restored health. Recall the phrase “it takes one to know one?”  It’s like the biblical phrase “..apples of gold in pitchers of silver..” those heartfelt talks. Words have power when interpreted to your benefit. So can the kind touch or look.

This week, I stared at boxes and piles that had to be dealt with or risk become labeled a hoarder. Personally, I would not care to experience such chaos. Traffic is enough to contend with, without losing my sense of harmony and balance to unneeded rubbish! So, the point is this: take a time out when you find yourself overwhelmed. It’s amazing how much a rested body and mind can accomplish when you give yourself time to restore!

All for now. And, do believe me, I make myself do so. I’m going out to sit on the “lanai” (Floridian for patio) and watch the clouds scud by. Oh, yeah, it’s rainy season.  Blessings! Sue