When I was a child growing up in Tennessee, one of my favorite times was Sunday evening. Sunday evening was the time for REST in our family. We were always so busy during the week with our jam packed schedule of work, school, and extended family. My momma worked on Saturdays, and we attended church every Sunday. So, the only time we had to REST was on Sunday evenings (typically from about 3 pm to 8 pm).
At our December wellness retreat, our facilitator Dana reminded us of the 3 forms of REST: (1) Being/Doing Nothing; (2) Restoring; (3) Liberating. In my family, we enjoyed all of these forms of REST on Sunday evenings. I have so many fond memories of REST on Sunday evenings, and these memories are some of the memories that bring me the most joy. If I had a paintbrush, I could draw each detail of these beautiful moments:
- Watching my Daddy in the front yard washing and waxing the cars. He loved cars. This activity restored him.
- Dancing with my sisters and my parents to Marvin Gaye in the living room!
- Daydreaming with my sisters sitting by our bedroom window about what our lives would look like when we got GROWN! lol
This year, I am focused on returning to practices that align with my values. One practice for me and my family is Sunday Evening REST.
Do you have a practice of REST that brought you joy in the past, and you want to return to it in 2025?
One thing that I am learning from this journey is that most of the work is returning to ourselves. We already know what to do. We just need to stop, remember, and intentionally choose things that serve us.
Be well,
April
Embrace Your Full Purpose 