Those of you who sing will recognize the importance of those spaces in between the notes. Officially called “rests,” they are the silences that give the music its flavor.
Rests vary in length, but they eventually come to an end; always. The tempo, the rhythm, the melody return and the music they create together continues. Still, rests are vital to the overall performance. Imagine a piece of music with no rests!
And so it is in life. Whether it’s an afternoon rest (siesta, as some call it) or a six month break from blogging, taking a break helps one (certainly it helps me) refresh.
Thank you for hanging out as I took this much needed spring break these past two many months. I thoroughly enjoyed my sabbatical and return today with a new sense of direction and purpose.
Just what I wanted to do. More on that as the weeks go on.
How about you? How are the rests in your life? Do you resent them or welcome them in?
Next Week: The best laid plans . . .
Darlene Foster
NIce to see you back, well-rested.
Janet Givens
Thanks so much, Darlene. I’m pleased to see you here, starting us off this week.
Clive Pilcher
Welcome back! Good to see you again, though your Facebook posts do make it feel as though you’ve still been there!
Janet Givens
Yes, I didn’t totally run from social media. Just the planning, writing, editing, and constant thinking about my blog posts. It was a long, slow, deep breath, Clive. It’s nice to be back. 🙂
Susan Scott
Welcome back Janet! Those in between moments are essential for good health –
Janet Givens
They are indeed, as you know all too well, Susan. I’ve missed your blog of late and hope it will resume after your life settles out in Plettenberg Bay. (Did I spell that correctly?) I enjoyed your linked-post on clearing out things, particularly “Little by little, bit by bit, slowly we come to the end of it – To begin again.” Who was it said each ending is a new beginning? Someone very wise, I imagine.
Susan Scott
Correct spelling! Thanks for your response 😀
marian beaman
Welcome back to blogging, though you were never far from my mind. In fact, I used the layout of your bookmark to design my own.
Rest, what is that? Writers don’t rest in lead-up to launch, as you well know. But rest will come. I hear the call in the distance, very faintly, very very faintly!
The musical score was a great lead-in. Forward ho! 🙂
Janet Givens
Hello Marian, and thank you for taking the time to visit while Dorian is breathing down your necks down there. We lived through Ernesto in Chincoteague and thought that was dramatic. I can’t imagine the force that this one is packing. My very best wishes to you as you move into this new phase of your book-birthing process. May the force be with you, indeed.
Merril D Smith
Hi Janet,
I hope you had a good rest–from blogging, as I think you were busy with other things. We all need rests–or pauses.
Janet Givens
Hi Merril and thanks. Yes, the rest was only from blogging and I was amazed at how much time it freed up. I’d gotten a tad more obsessive over it than I’m comfortable with and experiencing the letting go was useful for me, though it took a bit longer than I’d imagined. You’ve had some great highs with your poetry, I’ve read. Congratulations.
Laurie Buchanan
Janet — Welcome back. Like you, I thrive in the rests.
Janet Givens
Had I known they’d be this much fun, I’d have taken them sooner. 🙂 One post I’ve written but am not sure I’ll share has to do with what I was doing over those many months (it’s by weeks though, so gets a bit dense). Rests, sabbaticals, change in perspective — all are solidly in my bag of tricks.
Ally Bean
I welcome rests. I find my best thoughts are often hiding in the pauses. Happy to see you back among the blogging.
Janet Givens
“… hiding in the pauses.” I love that, Ally. Thank you. And I shall add parsley to my garden next year.
Bette Stevens
Think it’s time for a rest for me…if I can ever figure out just how to do that! Glad you did! Welcome back!
Janet Givens
Our bodies know when we need to rest, Bette. We just have to learn to listen. I’m sure you’ll find the way. Thanks so much for your welcome. I’m pleased to be back.
Janet Givens
Thank you all for your warm welcome as I find my way back again. Amusingly (now, nearly 24 hours later), as I was drifting off to sleep last night, I realized that I’d forgotten to schedule the post on MailChimp and so had to run up to my office and try to recall how MailChimp worked. Looks like I did it!
Ironically (I guess), today, the day this first post aired, was also the first full day of a fascinating training I’m doing (six days total, over three months). It’s an exciting therapy technique called EMDR that builds on what researchers have been learning about the brain. (I’ve decided I must be a brain geek, or brain nerd? Is there a difference?) Anyway, as the months go by, perhaps I’ll share some of the gleanings I’ll be taking away from this workshop.
Joan
Glad to hear your back. I’m still at rest, needing extra time these days to process this too fast spinning world.
Janet Givens
It is, isn’t it. I wonder if it’s the world that has sped up or if we’ve slowed down? Who cares! Weeeee. Glad you are taking care of yourself, Joan.
Janet Morrison
Welcome back, Janet! It sounds like this blog sabbatical accomplished what you hoped it would. I’m glad you’re back online and I look forward to all your posts.
Janet Givens
Thank you so much Janet. I’m looking forward to not only writing my blog posts again, but reading others too, including yours.