One Sunday afternoon, the kids and I went to see our bff and babysitter, Josie, at her art show at Cooper Union. It was a multi-media art piece about her summer visiting the national parks. Awesome.
After Josie’s show, we wandered into a sparsely-attended lecture in the auditorium. It was all about the lessons of the sloth. (I think the organizers followed the sloth’s example and didn’t exert themselves by promoting this awesome, free event.) I learned that as Americans (New Yorkers?), we are over-worked and could learn a lot from the sloth.
This morning, I was on vacation. I lay in bed wondering whether to go for a run or work on my novel. I contemplated my choices. I clicked on my phone to check in with the Twitterverse.
Two links appeared on my Twitter feed. One link sent me to a website dedicated to mothers who aim low http://aiminglow.com/ (follow Amy Lo on Twitter), a comic reaction to the perfectionism thrust on modern-day mothers, and the other link connected me to an article in the United Methodist Reporter on The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture (interview with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove by Robin Russell), all about staying put in a society that is perpetually on the go, http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=6959
The universe (Twitterverse) was telling me something.
I scanned the website and the article. (Nobody reads, we just scan.) It all made perfect sense. Why am I trying so hard? Why be an overachiever? Give it up! I hung out with my kids, laying (lying?) in the green grass and then laying (lying? whatevs!) at the beach. I was reading my book, hanging out.
And it was good enough. I’m a good enough mother (wife, friend, sister, what-have-you.)
Good enough. I’m staying put… I’m staying in bed.
100 Days of Poems and Pics 
obviously, i am being sloth-like just cruising around fb. thanks for the reminder. just being is enough sometimes.
Lay requires an object: A chicken lays an egg. Lie requires no object: I lie. I lie down.
OK, seriously. We need to copy this post and make it our “About Us” page on Aiming Low.
We aim so low, we could not have said it any better. We need YOU to do it for us.
AMAZING!
And welcome to the life of “average is passing.”
Dan is clearly an over-thinker and would probably not be comfortable over at Aiming Low…great post! You can absolutely achieve great things by taking it easy, and taking it easy on yourself.
Recharging is important. Even the best, finely tuned athletes recognize the importance of taking a break. Overuse of any muscle – including the brain – is detrimental to your health in the long run. Rest, recharge and be glad you don’t live in a tree.
Oh, I love that. I agree, we are in high gear too much. I don’t even have kids – how would I get along if I did? I fond that laying low really does help. Usually after, I feel more clear-headed and able to tackle things I’ve been putting off.
Thanks for posting this!