There’s an old song from the 1960s called “Up On The Roof.”
It’s not a song about Santa delivering Christmas gifts; it’s about renewal. The lyrics suggest that when the world gets us down, we should chill out, go up on the roof, look at the stars, relax and renew. It’s a great plan.
Chatterbox, March 5, 2015, talked about all we do every day and the justification we have in celebrating our daily accomplishments, once in a while. In the same way that we all fulfill our daily obligations, we should refresh ourselves too, especially now.
Renewing ourselves is not something that comes easily as life grows more complicated, but the human need to refresh and recharge ourselves never changes. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity. So, if we are blessed with a safe harbor right now, in these times, what can we do?
Some of us may do crafts, sew, or run. Thousands of distractions exist without cost in these hard times like a great walk. A great book, online or even still from our local library, can soothe us through the evening for a couple of weeks. Ah but, with the pace and restrictions we have now, and how much we must get done every day, time and energy become huge factors.
We are coming upon spring, holidays, and trying to honor traditions and all the inevitable effort that goes with them, in quarantine, new efforts are required and we’re already exhausted. Of course, all holidays, even the small ones invented for little reason, are a great excuse to get together with friends and family, even if only on Zoom. That joyful socialization is, in and of itself, rejuvenating, capturing emotions no matter how bittersweet.
As we head into a hopeful spring, after another pretty harsh winter, the weather will offer us more ways to tend to our aching mindset. For the many of us who failed to find the fun in snow, we burst out the door last week, searched for spring birds, burdened our lawn chairs, or brushed the cobwebs off our bike and took a spin.
I have a retired friend so anxious to spring forward that she and her husband often jump into their car, chased “sweater weather” a few states to the south, and proceeded to send me phone photos of themselves riding their bikes on the beach. Me? I just put on the Christmas music and lower all my shades. It works either way, as long as we all try to manage even 15 minutes to adjust our calibrator to survive the daily stresses.
Children, too, need to chill out – even the really little guys – with new school rules or remote learning pressures. It’s only natural, especially for young parents busily raising a family, to forget that. Plus, racing around in our own daily life often incorporates the wee ones. Though we think of little ones as having so much energy (and they do), we sometimes forget to remember that, with their little bodies and brains working so hard, growing and changing so much every day, they need respite. They are learning about their new world every minute of every day, are constantly interacting with siblings, possibly schoolmates, navigating new waters, absorbing it all, and trying to figure it all out.
Keeping up with us, no matter how energetic they may be, is a challenge for them. They exhaust us but everything in their day exhausts them. Before bed, a warm, quiet bath in low lights with Zen music can be like 20 minutes in a quiet lagoon, for them. Hmm, it doesn’t sound bad for us either, though we may need a half hour soak with a candle.
Our modest self-indulgence can be of any complexion. No one can chase spring down the coast to bike or chase winter up the coast for a last hurrah on the slopes this year. Maybe the best we can do is chat with a friend on the phone, wiggle to our favorite music while we scrub pots, or take a warm shower.
While, in many locations, ‘up on the roof’ can be far more difficult, possibly more dangerous, however we refresh, it’s an earned necessity. After all, dealing with everything, we’re still putting our best foot forward at work and at home for those we love; we should do our best to catch that pause to refresh.
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