JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

I need to learn more about rest. I’m trying but I still have far to go.
And it has been an intense season for our family these past few months.
Now with Christmas ended, I’m finding I can relax a bit more. I want to try to take one weekend day to do “nothing”, to rest, enjoy life and play with the girls.
Sure, I spend every day all day with the kids, but most of the time, even when they have play time, I am usually busy sorting socks, chopping vegetables or sweeping the floor. It’s been rare recently for me to simply play with my children, to be completely engaged with them, no task in hand or mind to distract me at all. No reason to say “just a minute” or “I can’t do that right now”. To be in full gear with my girls and play on their level, rested and relaxed.

This afternoon, during the time I usually spend tidying the house or preparing a meal, I chose instead to play with them. Rather than taking out the basket of cleaners or a load of laundry to fold, I lay down on Abigail’s bed in their bedroom while they busied themselves with toys.

And suddenly into my own view came three faces. Abigail, Michaela and Elisabeth climbed up on top of me, each in her own way. All I could see were their round faces, their big eyes looking into mine, their hands holding onto me, smiles, giggling girls, happy at their discovery, finding it funny to find Mommy lying down in their room.

Then I started laughing. It poured out from deep inside of me, from a place I didn’t know I had. Not shallow social-etiquette laughter or I’m-making-a-joke-ha-ha laughter but this rich joy spilling out, moving my chest and my whole body, a way I hadn’t laughed in a long time. It flowed from me like wine from an open bottle. Freeing. Intoxicating.

The girls lying on top of me, hugging me, happy, laughed too. I looked up into their three faces. I looked up into laughter.