Rest.

I was just looking through the artists who have checked in for the Creative Every Day Challenge and found some great things. I love looking though the blogs and getting to know the process that varies so differently depending on the artist.

While exploring, I found a poem through one of the blogs that sort of tied up the day for me and another friend I was with today. She's getting over the flu and is not someone I have ever known to slow down in her amazing ability to care for others. I appreciate this determination about her and am sure others do too. However, she even admitted to not taking very good care of herself while we were talking today saying she had to slow down a bit, but she really didn't stop from the point I showed up. 

We went through a lot of ideas for future crafting projects, chatted about life and had a few laughs. She gave me some goodies to take home, in the form of re-use projects, and unlike the last time, my car started so we didn't have to call AAA.  We had a good visit and I'll see her again tomorrow. 

Because-

I had to tell her to rest. I can't believe I even did that, but she had been to the doctor, the pharmacist, had been fielding phone calls, had a visit with me, made meals for her family - and not one of those words had to do with resting for recovery. 

Another friend who was a colleague in the school where I taught always had good advice for when I stayed home sick. I hated staying home sick because it is so much better, and actually easier, to be with the kids and they're not always so charming with a substitute. 

Anyway, my friend had words of comfort: 

Eat some soup and stay in your jammies all day. Get better, soon! 

Good words.

 Just easy to fight the fact I couldn't be sick. Nothing could hold me down. 

Except when kids started saying, "Why didn't you stay home from school?", I actually started to think about it. But, when we don't have students to give a reality check, who does it for us?

Now, when I'm sick, I still hear my colleague's voice and see the concern on her face when she sees I'm not feeling well. Then I know it's time to go and rest in my jammies and eat soup to get better. It works more often than not. 

So, I hope my friend isn't mad at me for telling her to rest. She's not the type to cater to silliness like that, but I could tell she wasn't all herself today. I hope she's better soon because I like her as all of herself - back to healthy and happy. I'll be watching.

Here's the poem I found. 

Breathe
By Leo Babauta

Breathe.
If you feel overwhelmed, breathe.
It will calm you and release the tensions.
If you are worried about something coming up,
or caught up in something that already happened, breathe.
It will bring you back to the present.
If you are moving too fast, breathe.
It will remind you to slow down, and enjoy life more.
Breathe, and enjoy each moment of this life.
They’re too fleeting and few to waste.

http://zenhabits.net/more/

Materials:
Artist's Loft 90lb Watercolor Paper
Faber Castell Watercolor Cakes
Staedtler Fine Black Permanent Marker
Pilot Extra Fine Gold Paint Marker