Thursday, July 16, 2009

On balance and the like...

First of all, I am appreciative of the responses to the last post.

To be honest, although it was very therapeutic to write, when it came time to actually post it, my fingers hovered nervously over the "publish" button. I had concerns of being pegged a whiner or that I was acting like a martyr or something. Instead, I received love, acceptance, and encouragement from so many people. (How great are my sisters??).

I was able to read about how many of you find balance in your life, and got some good advice.

And also, I found comfort and solace in knowing I am not alone in feeling this way.

So thank you.

My dad sent me a sweet email tonight with some excellent exerts from this book, and there is one that resonated so deep I thought I would share it here...


Harmony: Achieving Balance in Our Lives

The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes -- ah, that is where the art resides.
-- Artur Schnabel

Harmony is the inner cadence of contentment we feel when the melody of life is in tune.

(Frequently) when the distractions of daily life deplete our energy, the first thing we eliminate is the thing we need most: quiet, reflective time. Time to dream, think, contemplate what's working and what's not, so we can make changes for the better.

Today, just try slowing down. Approach the day as if it were an adagio -- a melody played in an easy, graceful manner.





Beautiful, isn't it?? With those thoughts firmly planted in my head, and on the advice of a fellow blogger whom I happen to think has a pretty good handle on this balance thing, I am going to "unplug" this weekend....or Saturday at least. It's supposed to be a perfect 85 degrees here that day, and I have visions of me under a tree in the park, with a good book and some staring-at-the-trees time where I can dream, think, and contemplate.

And with that I should be refreshed enough to teach the pre-k class during children's Church. =)

8 comments:

Amanda said...

Glad your bloggie friends and our other sisters were able to make you feel better. Sorry, I slacked on commenting, but I did read your post. I know you have been trying hard to be there for your husband, your friends, our God and yourself and that is indeed a delicate balance for all. That quote from Dad's favorite book is so true- we do eliminate our own quiet reflective, recharge time first when we get busy.

85 degrees does indeed sound perfect. It's supposed to be 117 here. Go make your visions of a good book under a shady tree in the park a reality this weekend- with a good iced coffee or ice cream cone! What are you planning on reading?

Stephanie said...

Yay! I really liked the first quote.

Enjoy your day of rest.

Lauren said...

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend girl, sitting by the tree! May God meet you there, sweet friend :)

WaitingandHoping said...

Enjoy your weekend and your REST!!!

Faith said...

Boy, God is just confirming the same thing over and over to me lately...making isolated time alone with Him my priority.

Hope your weekend is refreshing!

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

So glad to find your blog while blog hopping today. I love making new friends and finding new blogs.
I enjoyed my visit to yours.


http://teresa-grammygirlfriend.blogspot.com/

Lori said...

I'm so glad that you got lots of great advice and encouragement. I hope your day is going great, and you find time for the park!!

Marcia (123 blog) said...

Hi Kendra

I saw a comment on Sarah Creamer's blog and hopped over here.

I had my twins two weeks ago and we called my daughter Kendra.

I loved reading your profile "about me" because of my last post - I also said i want to FEEL things properly. Long story - read if you're so inclined.

But about the balance thing - I have it right about 90% of the time but it is WORK. My suggestion is to ask yourself every day "what is the most important use of my time right now?"

Sometimes that will be eating breakfast, sometimes it will be talking to a friend and other times it will be working.

And with that, it's time for me to go buy my babies some nappies (diapers).

Lots of love from South Africa