It is so true when they say that with age comes wisdom. Not only have I learned more about life in general, things that I wish I knew way back when, but with wisdom comes the appreciation for the simple everyday things in life. Things that I had never noticed before and all of a sudden feel as if I am seeing them for the very first time. For example, why have I never noticed the colours of sunrises, sunsets or how gorgeous the clouds can be or simply the beauty of Mother Nature before?
Why have I never truly appreciated the serenity of Sundays? Every Sunday I wake up with a sense of peacefulness and appreciation and it embraces me. I had never felt that before.
Going back to when my family was younger, Sundays were a bit more hectic. There was no option to sleep in or relax as the kids would be awake early. We would rush off to hockey, gymnastics or swimming and with three children; we often needed to split up, each taking one or two children to wherever they needed to be. If we weren’t spending our day running back and forth for an activity, we were off to one of our parents’ houses for lunch. Either way our afternoons were usually write offs as far as relaxing. They were just so busy and I couldn’t spend Sunday the way I wanted but that all comes with being a parent. Most of my time was dedicated to my children and I wouldn’t change any of it.
Now, 20 some years later, I still don’t sleep in as much as I would like as I try to get up a little earlier so I can enjoy my quiet Sunday morning coffee, read the paper and prepare for the day. I just love the soft silence in the house.
Sunday is also a day to be a little lazy. The difference now is that I feel it is perfectly acceptable and I don’t feel guilty and to be honest, I don’t think I should. I am up at 5:00 a.m. every day for work so if I choose to spend my day reading or on the couch napping or watching TV, that’s ok. I deserve it! I’ve actually become a little selfish when it comes to how I spend my day. It is still a day for family and togetherness. We still have lunch together as a family, whether it is just my husband and I or whether one or all of my kids are home as family dinners have always been a priority in our home. It is a day to just enjoy every minute as it comes with as few plans as possible.
Sundays have become a day of rest, reflection, gratitude and sometimes a day to catch up on work whether it is a last load of laundry, prep meals for the week or finish some computer work. They are a day when we go to worship and a day to be thankful for what we have and just to be aware of how blessed we truly are.
I love my Sundays and they have become MY day to spend MY time MY way!
I will now call Sunday ME DAY!