Sparkle Schoolhouse

October Tips for a Day of Rest

The other day I had a meaningful encounter with a squirrel.

It came after a crazy-busy morning, the kind where you spend several hours doing multiple things at once, spinning all the plates and occasionally dropping one. My nerves were on edge and I was preparing for the next blitz of activity. But, trapped at my daughters’ piano lessons, I decided to cool off a bit with a walk in the park.

As I tramped down the path, I heard a curious, scraping noise. I looked up and noticed a squirrel sitting contentedly on a sturdy branch while busily eating one solitary nut. As I stood and watched the squirrel for a good while, I thought about the single focus brought to the task of eating one nut. I thought that maybe I would like to sit and eat one solitary nut sometime. I’ve been thinking about that ever since — especially when the plates start spinning again.

This is the kind of magic and wonder that comes up often in Martin and Sylvia’s world — a special attentiveness to the exquisite beauty of the world around us through nature, relationships, and home. It’s this kind of magic and wonder that becomes a special focus of the Day of Rest in October. This is a month of enchantment and mystery — from fairies to costumes to decorations — and Martin and Sylvia’s family wants to lean into that more deeply. They propose giving some extra focus to the moments of magic and wonder that arise, especially on their Days of Rest. Doesn’t this sound like a marvelous idea?

If you’d like to follow their example, here is how:

Stay true to your patterns. If you’ve been practicing a Day of Rest for any length of time, you’ve established a few regular habits. Keep these up this month — they will give you a structure for your wonder-seeking.

Take a deep breath. Consider establishing a few particular triggers for pausing and taking a moment to breathe and notice the world around you. The trigger might be a chiming clock, a moment before a meal, or even the inspiration of one of your children (“Time to breathe!”). Each time you pause for a breath, spend a moment looking around and observing your world.

Notice the natural pauses. As you experience your usual rhythm in your day of rest, notice the moments when you naturally stop — sitting down with a cup of coffee, opening a book, or climbing into the car before turning on the ignition. Again, observe the world around you with gratitude.

Reflect on your moments. You might want to consider making a list of these quiet, attentive moments as a family at the end of the day. Recording your observations and moments of gratitude will help you to be even more attentive in the future.

Consider planning a few elements of surprise and delight. The world has enough joy in it to satisfy any of us, but as parents, we have a special opportunity to cultivate a few of these. Think about a few simple ways you can help inject a bit of magic into your family’s rest — a spontaneous invitation to sit and read a book with your child, a sprinkle of glitter at the breakfast table, an unexpected dance party. A little something out of the ordinary can go a long way in creating a meaningful memory.

Take it with you. Martin and Sylvia’s family decide to practice this kind of attentiveness on their Days of Rest, but it is just that: practice. By practicing on a rest day, you can hone your skills so that you can attend to the magic of the month all through the week, whether you’re at work, at home, or on your commute. Your children’s ability to note special moments might even be more advanced than yours. Consider chatting about any “magic moments” during an evening meal or at bedtime. If you open yourself to the mystery, you’re sure to encounter it.

Listen to the first free story HERE and read more about getting started with a Day of Rest.

Read the September Day of Rest tips HERE.

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