The Pendulum

We need rest. We are over extended from every angle.

And yet, every time I watch another reel that reminds me my adrenals need a break, I look around and ask “When? How?” Because the reality is that shit still needs to get done otherwise it just piles up for another day, another week and what about my adrenals then? I want to eat well to nourish myself and my family. I want to be intentional with my kids and have a relationship with my husband that is thriving. Daily movement, reading, writing and meditation is important for my overall well being and to ensure that the list above is going to work for everyone’s best interest. And when did things like good food, relationships and sex become a luxury? Shouldn’t that be everyone’s standard? Instead we’ve continued to let these human essentials slide for the sake of keeping up, from running from the perpetual tiger chasing us out the doors in the morning. The pendulum has swung to far and the string is about to break.

A few years ago, I received this vision in my head of how I wanted to live my life. I was barefoot, walking along the path beside my garden towards a little cabin. Children were playing, neighbours were gathering on the porch. My hair was down, blowing in the breeze. There was a lightness in the air, a slow texture in time. I kept thinking that this must be from a past life because it seemed so “old fashioned”. After I had the vision a few times, I realized that this was what I wanted for my future. To take things back to a time that was centered around community. Where there was a village to help raise my children, and many hands to get the work done.

The way forward, the path towards healing by eating nourishing food at every meal, children fully attended to, abundance around us, is coming back to a place of community living. Multi generational homes, multi family homes. More hands and hearts under one roof, sharing the load of intentional living. Less screens, more interactions with those whom you resonate with. To some this may sound absurd, to others, a sweet prayer to the universe.

I’m in no way blind to the challenges and tension it could create, but personally, I think our society could benefit from relearning how to live with each other, instead of shutting people out and pretending that there is no issue.

Each time I see a home that is living in this manner, I say a prayer of thanks. It’s one more step closer, it’s another example that this is already happening and is in my future too! Until that day, I will celebrate the small ways I already live in community, sharing meals with neighbours, watching the neighbourhood children play and asking for help when I need it. Sure, it may not be everything I want yet (the chickens will come eventually!) but each little step in that direction is a little pull on that pendulum back towards a place where I can breathe deeper.