Rest. Stop.

(...and these are just the books that won't fit on my bookshelves.)

For two days I’ve been trying to write a blog, and all I’ve ended up with are pages of jumbled messy paragraphs. If I posted them, you would definitely think I was on drugs. For some reason, my synapses aren’t firing, and that scares me a little. I come up with ideas and sentences, but none of them fit together. I actually started to panic today…I got all sweaty and my chest was tight. But then I read this great article by Martha Beck about getting through the “valleys” of your life by settling into them. Let me quote her here:

Humans are the only creatures in nature that resist the ebb and flow. We want the sun to shine all night, and when it doesn’t, we create cities that never sleep. But natural ebbs – the darkness between days, the emptiness between fill-ups, the fallow time between growing seasons- are necessary compliments of upbeats. They hold a message for us. It’s just one simple blessed word. Rest.

She goes on to say sometimes life knocks you down because you need to rest, so rest like you mean it. Apparently I’m needing a day or two of rest from writing and editing. This well has run dry, and I’m waiting for rain. In the mean time, I’m going to cuddle up with some Chardonnay and a good book.

The above photo is my bedside table, and you know what’s so cool about it? Most of the books there were written by my friends! And all those friends got through their dry spells, their fears and insecurities all the way to the finished book. How inspiring is that? So thank you friends….I’m going to let you carry me for a few days. I’m going to delve into your stories and imaginations and drift away….and REST.