Wild Kids Sundays center kid's spirituality. It's an opportunity for all of us to connect and explore with joy, curiosity and an extra dose of fun. Bring your inner child and/or your own kiddos.
This morning I sat down for a phone call and after I hung up I closed my eyes for just a minute...and woke up an hour later to the notification my next meeting started in 10 minutes. As I tried to shake off the deep sleep, panic and anxiety set in. I had a list of things I needed to do in that hour and I wasted it sleeping.
I started off this series on Rest by sharing some of wisdom of the Nap Bishop, Tricia Hersey, from her 2022 book, Rest is Resistance: A manifesto. As I chided myself for falling asleep, I had to remind myself that the voice in my head shaming me for sleeping was actually the voice of our culture of production and perfection, enforcing striving at all cost. Even as I write this (which I planned to write in that hour I was asleep), I'm calculating what I have to put off until another day, what is critical, how I can "Tetris" it into the rest of my day.
But, that's the point isn't it, rest isn't actually an act of resistance if we aren't willing to say no to something else. Saying "no" to the supposed-tos and expectations, ingrained perfectionism, productivity as identity, and all that bind us to capitalist systems. And for me, saying no is the really hard part. As I scan down my to do-list I don't see anything that I can say "no" to.
I have to pick up the kid from school.
I'm excited to plan our Wild Kids gathering this Sunday.
I have to write emails and navigate logistics if I want to take thenext exciting leap.
I'm tempted to ramble on for too many sentences about ways I could say "no," I wrote several drafts in fact. Not staying up late reading, or spending less time on social media, both are probably good ideas in general. But when it came down to it I realized that the things I proposed cutting out were also things for me. The fun and playful things that I really enjoy. Which is also a type of rest.
As I sat in the car waiting for school to let out, I began to wonder if maybe what I need to do is add "nap" to my to-do list. Maybe it's not about saying "no," maybe it's saying "yes" to prioritizing rest and sleep as part of my to-do list from the beginning."What does resting look like in practice? ... You are the expert of your body. Your body knows more than we give it space to share. ... There are not enough words to explain to anyone what deep, tender rest feels like. Rest must be practiced daily until it becomes our foundation."
On Sunday we'll let the kids help us learn to prioritize sleep, or at least cozy rest. If you are so inclined, especially kiddos, wear pjs or cozy clothes and bring a special snuggly-someone. ❤︎
See you on Sunday, January 28 at 4 pm
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