31 Days of Giving Permission . . . TO TAKE A DAY OFF

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So, have you ever found a day?
Like a pearl in an oyster,
or a late rose in full bloom?
A day, appearing like a gift before you?

I had such a day yesterday.
A last minute cancellation,
and suddenly —
there it was.
An open day.

Well, I thought.
I could write ahead on my blog posts this day.
OR,
I could get some errand-running done.
OR,
I could start reading blogposts
until I go bleary-eyed.

But I didn’t do any of those things.
I chose to take the day OFF of the things I usually do.

It ended up being quiet, uneventful.
I had laundry to do,
so I did it.
And I actually enjoyed it.
(Sometimes, I’m weird like that.)

And I found a recipe for Crock-Pot Apple Crisp.
My husband thought that sounded swell,
and he set to work carving up our Granny Smiths
while I assembled the rest of the ingredients.
And the house smelled heavenly all afternoon.

I got a little bit caught up on some Tivo’d programs
while I folded laundry.
Felt absolutely decadent, too.

And then I ordered dinner from a restaurant!

Oh, the sweetness.

I had myself a day off.
Off from the usual,
off from driving around,
off from meeting with people,
OFF.

Don’t get me wrong.
I love what I do.

But you know what?

EVERYBODY needs a day off once in a while.

How about you? 

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Comments

  1. Ahhhhhhhh… the bliss of a day off! It sounds very well deserved, Diana. 🙂
    I had managed to carve out of the chaos, a day off each week (which in reality meant a good 4hrs on my own at home), but that has now become half a day off each week (which actually means almost 3hrs at home on my own).
    It’s hard to find a balance between doing exactly what I want, and then feeling guilty over all the things I should have been doing but didn’t; and mostly doing exactly what I want, but doing enough of the things I should be doing to feel pleased with myself instead of guilty!
    Is it just me that has these sorts of internal balancing acts going on?

    • Of course, it’s not just you, Donna. This is really hard for most of us to do, actually. But it’s really, REALLY important. To have a bit of unstructured time is a boost to all kinds of things – our sense of well-being, our brains, our bodies. And 3-4 hours is about perfect actually. I love being on my own at home and don’t get that gift very often any more as my husband is usually here 24/7 – so if you can cobble together a few hours, grab them and do with them what nourishes you. . . totally guilt-free, okay?

  2. a day off for me, right now is having someone else responsibile for dad for a few hours and I leave! i miss being in my house without the contant awareneess that i am “on.” but in another few weeks, my husband is sending me away to our time share a couple hours away for 4 delicious days. I almost dont’ care how much I “get done.” i just plan to be!

    • SO glad you’ll get a good, long break soon, Carol. And not being able to have any down time in your own home is a real bummer. Thanks for checking in today – always glad to see you here.

  3. I LOVE my day off! I am very intentional about how I use it each week, too. And I don’t feel one bit guilty. I didn’t make as good use of a day to myself when I was home all the time.

    • Good for you, Marilyn! I find it harder to take a day off with a more scattered schedule, too. But I’m working on it! (So where are you working these days? Do I know this and have forgotten?)