Reclaim Rest!
Our first influencers are our parents, guardians, carekeepers. They are tasked with providing a foundation and path for us to follow. This path can be filled with pearls of wisdom on how to live our lives in peace, how to treat ourselves and others, how to pray and worship, how to build, how to work and how to play.
When I think about models for rest over my own family history I think about my Madear who worked as a domestic most of her life and raised 16 kids alone. She would often fall asleep in her recliner while watching TV and I could see the peace on her face as she lie in a state of restoration. I do not think my Madear had any models for rest or thought about her own self care. What I do know is that she loved fishing and she would often take her old Nova to the docks and fish for the afternoon and come back with buckets of brims and catfish to be cleaned and stored. I believe this was her self care and moment to reclaim herself and recharge. As she got older she left all the kids behind her and moved away from them and finally was able to enjoy a little free time to herself without any obligations. She reclaimed her rest.
My own mother was also on the go and barely took time for herself with raising a family and keeping the house and home but she did take refuge in her weekly hair appointments that seemed to last all day! I bet I memorized all the Jet and Ebony magazines as I waited for that roller set to dry!
I watched as my mom, Madear were constantly doing things. Cooking, cleaning, preparing, being there for all of us. Now my mom hardly cooks, and she has adopted a daily nap routine at the age of 77. She is reclaiming her rest.
Historically as a people we have not ever had rest. The man has always been on our backs, and we have had to remain in the swivel state for generations. Unrest is in our dna. While some take rest as a pleasurable pastime, for others it invokes feelings of laziness, non productivity, procrastination.
As with most ideologies that were passed to us from white hands, it is more illusion. Even God took a day to rest. So it begs to argue that rest is high on the list of things we should be doing, and doing without apology. What if you could re-frame rest to believe that there is Power and Peace in the Pause? What if instead of feeling guilty you chose to see this as an opportunity for renewal, and time to reset? Rest as a tool for planning, probing, listening.
I can remember many times when I felt confused or just unclear and I just take to the bed until the answer comes and then I move again.
One instance in particular I was in between jobs in NYC waiting on calls from shows I auditioned for. I had done the work I needed to do and there was nothing left but to overthink, or overload myself with shit I didn't need. I packed a bag went home to visit my parents and got in the bed. I rested. I rested for a week and then a plan was formulated and I was given my marching orders. I went back refreshed, and claimed my position and went on tour. This process has repeated itself many times over the years. I value rest and the guidance it gives, for the reset it gives my brain and body.
So let this be a call for nationwide NAPS! Don’t wait until you feel like you deserve it! It is yours for the taking now! Get your Peace! Get your Power, in the PAUSE!