Sunday, June 24, 2007

On a road trip

Well, I am off on a road trip this week, travelling US101, as we head to San Diego to visit family. I will be listening for inspiration and ideas for this journal along the way and will post when I can.

I remember many road trips with our kids. "When will we be there?" was asked many times before we could finally say in all honesty, "Very soon!" We traveled often the 600 miles from here south to San Diego. And we even took a very long road trip all the way back to the east coast when the kids were little. We stopped lots, and drove during their sleepy times when we could. But they were also very good travelers and enjoyed the games we would play to entertain them. We listened to their music tapes and sang along.

Life is also a journey. And we all need to stop along the way. This is not selfish. It is necessary to replenish our energies and our enthusiasm for life. David Kundtz in his book Quiet Mind - One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World reminds us that there are three ways to stop briefly or for a long while. He says we need Stillpoints frequently during the day, momentary pauses, time to take a breath, and quiet our minds for just a minute. We also need occasional Stopovers which are simply longer times to put our feet up and just do nothing, becoming more aware, recalling our needs and goals. And lastly, Kundtz feels we should schedule longer time away for a Grinding Halt. During these times we get away from our lives for a week or a month to remember who we are, where we come from, where we're going and how we'll get there.

As I head off on a road trip, I plan to have time to stop and remember. I wish the same for you.

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