VaCaTionIng

Ah, the simple pleasures of a slower pace and a release from duties. 

Nearly all of my life has been governed by the academic cycle — the push and pull of work – rest that rules in American schools, both primary/secondary and college.

I love the rhythm that comes from a year divided by periods when not only is it ok to stop working, it’s expected.

In fact, I’d be thrilled if America decided our religion of materialism had sacrificed enough victims and just closed for business from Christmas through New Years.  I’m so thankful that the  Man and I get our Christmas holidays in sync even through I’m not in the classroom right now.

The week-in week-out grind of “normal work” really wears me down. I haven’t lived in that world much, but always found it exhausting. I think the lack of change is what did me in. No new semester or new year to start, no new classes to plan for and take the focus of your creativity, no uphill climb through the difficult days of November or April with the knowledge that a good-long vacation was coming. You can taste it. You can see leisure out of the corner of your eye when you turn your head. It’s there… waiting for you just around the corner.

This will be a more fun holiday than we’ve enjoyed in a while…. we’ve already got a house of guests yukking it up, playing games, and provoking laughter. Soon we’ll wander around the Upstate visiting friends we don’t usually get to see, spend some time with family for the holiday, and then head North to the Frozen Lands for an unusual wintertime trip.

I hope you get some rest this season too.

Time just to be.