“With a new awareness, both painful and humorous, I begin to understand why the saints were rarely married women. I am convinced it has nothing inherently to do, as I once supposed, with chastity or children. It has to do primarily with distractions. The bearing, rearing, feeding and educating of children; the running of a house with its thousand details; human relationships with their myriad pulls-woman’s normal occupation in general run counter to creative life, or contemplative life, or saintly life. The problem is not merely one of Woman and Career, Woman and the Home, Woman and Independence. It is more basically: how to remain whole in the midst of the distractions of life; how to remain balanced, no matter what centrifugal forces tend to pull one off center; how to remain strong, no matter what shocks come in at the periphery and tend to crack the hub of the wheel…
But how? Total retirement is not possible. I cannot shed my responsibilities…I cannot be a nun in the midst of family life. I would not want to be. The solution for me, surely, is neither in total renunciation of the world, nor in total acceptance of it. I must find a balance somewhere, or an alternating rhythm between these two extremes; a swinging of the pendulum between solitude and communion, between retreat and return…
It is a difficult lesson to learn today-to leave one’s friends and family and deliberately practice the art of solitude for an hour or a day or a week…For me, the break is the most difficult….And yet, once it is done, I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea ~
“For believe me, the more one is, the richer is all one experiences. And whoever wants to have deep love in {her} life must collect and save for it and gather honey.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke ~
“One should know the value of Life better than to pout any part of it away.”
~ Hester-Lynch Piozzi ~
“We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come.” ~ Helen Keller ~
“Wild and distant places speak to many who find in them opportunities to engage in the spiritual practices of wonder and gratitude.” ~ Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat ~
“You look as if you lived on duty and it hadn’t agreed with you.” ~ Ellen Glasgow ~
“Let go of the people who cause constant pain; let go of the negativity that colors a room more darkly than any coat of paint. Keep close the people you love, the ones who stay engaged and open to life, who bring joy and peace to the house and garden. ~ Dominique Browning ~
“It is the loving, not the loved, woman who feels lovable.” ~ Jessamyn West ~
“Since her childhood it had seemed to her that the movement of all laws, even natural ones, was either suspended or accelerated on the Sabbath.” ~ Ellen Glasgow ~
“Thousand upon thousand of human plans are not equal to one of Heaven’s.” ~ proverb ~
Mildred, so glad Greg is doing better.
Pattie, Sabbath Keeping is a work of the heart.
Annie, thank you.
Pam, Sunday's have a tad less work for which I'm grateful.
Dori, grace and mercy keep us going.
Deanna, spring can't come fast enough.
Diana, it's a wonderful book as well. Have you read it?
Karen, that was one of my favorite quotes too.
Kathy, most are too busy to rest and that's a shame.
Lynn, it's a wonderful book and glad it brings you closer to your Mom. How grand she gave it to you!
Andrea, were you able to take some time off?
Sharon, I am like you – no children, just animals and days and weeks alone.
Gretchen, Rilke is an interesting author. What is your conclusion?
That Rilke quote intrigued me so I looked up the source and think I will muse on it a while….
I don't have kids and work alone in my studio much of the day. I wonder if I'm blessed or cursed. Well, usually I feel blessed.
Thank you for this post today. I needed a reminder to take a little break. And to do it before I start snapping at people.
Beautiful post..my Mom gave me Gifts from the Sea 45 years ago and I still pick it up from time to time, her words bring me a bit closer to my Mom and myself.
A time away "from it all" , even if it is staying home and keeping off the phone & computer, is a respite we all need and seriously undervalued. That time of solitude, hopefully seeking God's will & wisdom , fuels the energy needed for all life requires .
I like this one (and all the rest, too!)
Keep close the people you love, the ones who stay engaged and open to life, who bring joy and peace to the house and garden. ~ Dominique
Wonderful post, Sandra. I love that quote by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I hope you have had a wonderful Sunday so far- xo Diana
A blessing to visit your place today.
Snow….come what may,
I know we're one day closer to Spring with flowers.
d
"Well-being is not a state of mind,
or even of body.
It is a state of grace."
"Grace grows best in winter."
I love thes tow words about grace so very very much!!
And big big respect for this word:
"She is not afraid of snow for her household."
~ Proverbs 31:21 ~
Another inspirational post. Thanks Sandra. Hope your day has been an easy one. God bless. ~:)
lovely post!
I so agree… we must be in the world but not of it.. Finding the happy medium or to be set apart but yet walkin in this world is not always easy…..no matter where he may place us in this world we need our time alone with him.. It is vital to our walk.. Great saying and scripture readings… helping us to keep focused…Have a great Sabbath.. I admire you devotion to guide other to and speak truth.. Blessings!
Remembering you in prayer, Sandra.
I'm thankful for your prayers for Greg & Norah last week.