What Do You Wish to Take a Break From?

photo by Timothy Schildknecht 2010

You know, I've been so busy lately---with kids, with doctors, with putting my art-work together, with family things....birth, and now death----my first thought this morning when reading today's Wishcasting Wednesday prompt was, of course, "I wanna break from real life!".

And now I've spent the entire morning thinking "oh Jennifer; that's a lame wish"...."who doesn't wish for that?"

After all of that boiling in my head and heart today, I've reduced my need down to it's purest form---
I DO wish to take a break from real life---but not for just the rest and relaxation.
I wish to pull back, to spend some time considering REAL LIFE.
I don't want my head swimming with all those appointments and obligations, the have-to's or even the want-to's.

This week I have come face to face with REAL LIFE.

As many of you know, I lost a dear cousin unexpectedly this weekend.
Janet was a beautiful, vibrant, loving young woman (hey, to me, anyone between mid 40's to early 50's is still a young woman!), with a husband, with two beautiful children, one of whom was just married a few months ago; with four beautiful, adoring sisters.
Those five sisters are very dear to my heart, some of my favorite people, and all near to my age.

Losing such a beautiful soul was especially painful; burying her on such an incredibly gorgeous spring day with the flowers blooming and the birds singing was especially poignant, poetic even.

I am, however, having the most difficulty, I believe, with someone my age... a peer...leaving this life so suddenly and unexpectedly.
I think about life's silly details, all the things left undone....
and of course, do my loved ones KNOW how much they're loved??

I wish to take a break....
to let some of these feelings wash over me, cry if I need to...
to lie in my hammock this beautiful spring day, listen to the birds sing...to contemplate the beauty, the poignancy, and the preciousness of REAL LIFE.

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I also wish to thank Jamie Dear for allowing me to share with all of you through yesterday's Creative Living with Jamie my take on what can happen when we don't listen to our Spirit, of learning to live a creative life in spite of the resulting physical pain, and that old familiar demon, FEAR.

I extended an invitation to all of you, Jamie's readers/listeners to join me in the Phoenix Rising--Georgia Theatre art quilt project. Listen on Creative Living, or read more about it here.
I'd be pleased as punch to have you participate with me!

AND I made a special Etsy offer....you'll have to go to Jamie's to find it ;) !