DON’T NEGLECT THE NEED

DON’T NEGLECT THE NEED

It is December 1, 2025, Monday morning at 4:36 AM. The sage and the candle are adding ambience to the stage for my morning writing. The aroma triggered a memory. I remembered reading a line about sage burning, “Light the sage. When it has done its work, it will extinguish itself.” A bundle of sage always last for weeks. I light the same bundle day after day. It burns for a few minutes and then it goes out. The few minutes of smoldering cast its aroma, and it lingers well into the day. The candle is lit just as often. If I don’t extinguish it, the candle will burn until the wick is buried under wax, or the wick is consumed by the flame. It seemed to me in the wee morning hours that burning sage knows when to rest. On the other hand, the candle’s fate seemed to be in the hands of an outside source – namely me. The sage, I thought, was a symbol of self-care – the candle a symbol of care dictated and controlled by an outside source.

My mother had two sayings that seemed apropos about the role of rest and living life well. When taking notice of someone living in the fast lane of busyness, she would say “They are going to meet themselves coming back down the road.” At first read, the words seem nonsensical. However, the truth of the statement has been revealed by my life experiences. One can be so driven to accomplish or be whatever, that the true essence of who they are is left behind. It is only when and if, they are made to stop, pause, reflect, and make a U-turn, that the authentic self is rediscovered or met as they come back from where they have run off to. Her other word of advice was, “You can’t hoot with the owl and crow with the rooster.” This word is on repeat in my life as evidenced by Thanksgiving week. I tried to do both hoot and crow.

My tendency from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day is to cram EVERYTHING in. Everything is whatever keeps me hooting with owls and maintaining my morning routine (crowing with the rooster). Sleep deprivation is the byproduct of such, and irritability follows. December 26 and 27 are typically spent in a full-blown recovery mode from the candle-like lifestyle. I know better. I know behaving like the sage bundle is a more excellent way – complete a task and rest.

What about you? How will you live differently this holiday season? Will you hoot with owl AND crow with the rooster, or will you observe the routines and rituals that have kept you well, safe and balanced throughout the year including going to bed at a reasonable hour? Either way, the choice is completely up to you. Will you continue with the busy life that keeps you from the truth of self? Again, the choice is yours. Busy is a choice and rest is a choice. Thanksgiving was a wakeup! I am going to plan better and rest when I feel like it. I refuse to be too tired to enjoy Christmas with those I love and cherish on December 25^th. Will you join me?

Hebrews 4:9-11

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---“It’s precisely those who are busiest who most need to give themselves a break.” Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness.