Brain Breaks

It's funny how life changes along the way. God molds and shapes our lives, and in the process, things shift.

It's not a bad thing - or at least it doesn't have to be a bad thing - but I always find it intriguing.

Perhaps I have noticed it more in the last month, because as I hear the stories our tenants tell, I find myself thinking how I remember feeling the way they felt when I was their age. The things that overwhelm them overwhelmed me too...back then. The things that frustrate them unglued me too...back then. The things that they don't find all that important probably didn't matter to me either...back then.

Sure, the details of my life story might look different from theirs, but those underlying things of the heart are so familiar.

And the same is true of my down-time. Oh, how it changes.

I remember being fresh out of college and fresh out of money. I was living on a salary that boggles my mind now (even accounting for inflation). I was newly post-breakup, and all my friends from college had either moved away or gotten married. (Or both.) I had nothing but time on my hands and no resources to fill it. I ached for things to do so I didn't have to sit and be bored all the time.

I ached for money to put gas in my tank so I could afford to drive beyond the borders of Marion to see friends. I ached for money to go out to eat (even on the value menu!) more than my standing once-a-week lunch date. I couldn't afford movies or hobbies or anything else. And so I sat and wished I could be on the go.

My wish came true!

Though I was far from independently wealthy, I did finally receive some raises that made it possible for me to visit friends, hit the dollar menu a couple of times a week, and start a few hobbies. I raced from one thing to the next, barely breathing in between items on the calendar, and suddenly, I wished I could sit again.

In fact, I remember one month back in my mid-twenties, when I declared a no month. I went to work and church and that was it. No dinners. No softball games. No movie nights. No out of town runs. No shopping trips. No babysitting.

I needed a brain break, and I recognized it. I took it.

That down-time has taken twists and turns over the years.

Book-devouring phases.

Book writing phases.

Scrapbooking and card-making phases.

Cooking phases.

House hunting phases.

Napping phases.

Class-taking phases.

And now it seems like we love to steal away for long, long walks, filled with talks and dreams for the future - both immediate and distant.

I miss the naps. I've only had a couple since we moved, and before that I took one almost every day. Maybe with the return of colder weather, I'll be able to find a few more again.

I miss reading and extra writing, too. Now that we are pretty much fully settled, I'm hoping for opportunities for more of both of those.

I sneak in some Pinterest when I can. A quick dash through the pages to see what sorts of interesting things I can find.

The need for rest may ebb and flow. The sources of my brain breaks may change with time and life circumstances.

But we all need rest for body, mind, and soul - that's the common denominator.

How do you like to give your brain a break? And has it changed from years ago?