Stress is such a common component of our fast-paced life. What if we were able to take a few minutes out of the busyness and just relax? What if we literally stepped out of the commotion and allowed our tired, tense bodies to release into a soothing mellowness?
One of my favorite places to relax, when I’m in my imagination, is a wooden porch swing. It instantly takes me back to memories of being a young girl, sitting with my grandmother on her porch swing on a warm summer evening in Illinois. I remember not having a care in the world, while we sat, rhythmically swinging and talking over our day. My grandmother died quite a few years ago, but I can still remember that feeling of comfort and safety when we used to sit together watching the fireflies flitting around the night sky. It’s a beautiful memory to me!
Do you have a childhood memory of a quiet time with special grown-up who made you feel loved and protected? Are you remembering to temporarily move out of the frantic motion that surrounds too many of us today, and simply share some peaceful, sheltering moments with someone close to you?
My image is sitting in a porch swing on a summer evening. What image comes to your mind that allows you to reconnect with your younger self, back before you had the responsibilities of an adult? Can you recreate that image in your mind and really feel the calm remembering?
I wish you a quiet time with your favorite mellow memory,
Linda