i started my own even larger family very young
and have thus had very little alone time.
i really need some solitude but at times it is awkward for me.
my days are usually filled with doing things for others.
i was visiting my dear friend cheryl's blog
(http://mywildlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/)
this morning, when all this dawned on me.
photo taken by cheryl
click on photo or above link to get to her blog.
i have always said my favourite place in the world is
home in a room by myself but hearing everyone
else bustling around the house.
this morning i am at home alone and it is that same feeling.
i should be doing something for someone else but i need
this time to recharge my own soul, have thoughts of my own.
...here are some things in singular that i love...
i love the colour white...in nature...it is in the purest form...
...in the vastness of the ocean you can uncover some unique singular treasures.
...in the vastness of the ocean you can uncover some unique singular treasures.
a single seed pod from the magnolia tree is intricate...
one burnished leaf that holds your attention...
one architectural detail can make even the mundane seem interesting.
this bench sitting alone evokes a sense of peace and solitude...
when one piece of bark is singled out for artwork we pay attention to it's details...
...drawing us into this painting is a singular, lone traveled road...
single moments capture the beauty and innocence of life...
a single word can personify what we are trying to accomplish.
one thing i am delighted about that i am not singular in...is love...
love of family...love for God...and the love of friends...
.JPG)
.JPG)
30 comments:
A beautiful post Marmee and one that I can relate to....
When we care for others more than ourself we lose a little of our soul. We need to replenish our spirit, so that we can take care of those we love and cherish.....
I hope that your time alone has given you time to be you for a little while......
I love white to, as you know......it is so pure, so clean......
I to, am priviledged to be loved, and I count that as my most cherished blessing......
I am sure, you cannot wait for your family to be home.....that is also the nice thing about being alone for a while....we realise, even more, how precious our family are to us......
Take care.......
It is always nice to have some alone time for just us. A hard thing for women to find.
thank you cheryl,
first for the inspiration...second for your generousity of spirit...and also your friendship.
my time alone was brief but good.
we are having a superbowl get together today. lots of friends...time to chat...time to share...lots of bustling.
white is my decorating secret...there has to be a touch of white in the room for it to feel complete to me. also white in the garden is a must.
being loved is a gift and i too cherish it...and try to relish in every moment spent together.
...thank you friend.
tina, this sure is true for women and mother and wives. it is our nature to be the nuturers. but i enjoy some time for myself to think and rejuvenate my spirit.
hope you are enjoying this warmer day as they are expecting us to have snow tomorrow. we shall see.
Marmee I'm so glad you got a chance to have some solitude. It does seem to rejuvenate us when we need it the most. As humans we are not born to be alone. We need the other to complete our lives.
alone time is priceless when you are still raising a family, as it seems you are never totally alone when someone is always at home! i remember the days of even trying to be alone to take a bath, while someone was always knocking on the door with a question or needing to hurry me up so that they could use the facility. those were the days i started the habit of staying up late at night, just to enjoy the silence!
some people cannot stand solitude, as they do not have peace within, and must have activity around them constantly. it seems we have lost the art of enjoying just being by ourself, to pursue our own interests and reclaim our individualism. you are entering a new phase of your life - a time to develop the art of just being yourself while being alone!
now that i have finally reached retirement, i can do pretty much what i want, when i want and if i want. it is a new challenge to my discipline of life - i can waste as much of my day as i like! i need to be more on track to learning new things and working on some projects. but, ah me, sleeping in as late as i like is so much more enticing!!
There is something special to that time alone. Maybe we can recharge this way in order to better serve the ones we love!!
Beautiful pictures and a gentle reminder we all need to take time to "smell the roses" and find a time of peace and quiet for ourselves.
Wonderful post Marmee!
lola so glad to hear from you, it is good to be able to be alone so you can give back to the ones that you love.
gigi, it was hard to imagine even just a few years ago that i would have anytime to myself. but i do see the light at the end of the tunnel. i am trying to develop an understanding of just being able to have some stillness in my life and being able to enjoy it. simplfy is my word of the year.
darla, for sure i do believe that is what we do. recharge to give. give then recharge.
Ah, Marmee, so much reflection. I really appreciate all your singular captures today. With a camera in hand to hone in on detail or a "frame of life" we notice and I think appreciate more of the simpler world around us... that was there all the time.
For a woman with a family to be alone does seem a rare thing. We thrive on serving our families to the fullest but to be alone for times of rejuvenation is essential not just a luxury. I learned at the onset of marriage/family life to wake earlier than everyone else or the day was sure to get away from me with all the demands each one brings. Even though my children are all grown now, I still cherish the early morning hours to spend time with God and myself. It sets my day... and the course of my life.
Gardening is another outlet for being alone. Lost in the wonder of nature and the God who made it.
I never mind being alone as long as I know the people I love are sure to come home.
So happy you are finding times during your day to refresh and to discover that elusive "simplify thing."
I love the way you look at your world Marmee. You express your views in such a wonderful way.
I'm all for time alone. I believe everyone needs it!
mt,
i was sure i commented to you.
i am so glad you enjoyed the photos and the post. i am reminding myself too as i remind others that it is necessary to recharge and not feel selfish or guilty.
yes meems, the camera does capture
and help us see the detail in life. to really study what we see and then appreciate it...that is what i am trying to achieve. when we were younger it all seems such a rush but now to enjoy the simplest of life's moments is grand.
i have always admired how you made that time in the morning for yourself and your spirit. what a commitment to your family and now you revel in the results; your children with solid families, wonderful partners, raising their own families.
gardening is an all encompassing way to rejuvenate, time alone,working hard, time to think, being in nature, seeing things grow, satisfaction... the list goes on.
i think that is why so many women love it. i am ready to get back to it.
i am determined to "simplfy" this year. purge the unnessecary and focus on what is the most important...in mind, body, and spirit.
susie thank for your kind words, they are very encouraging.
we do all need down time to be alone and hear ourselves think.
have a great monday.
Two words: Singularly beautiful.
I can relate to this post. We need some time alone but we also need to be close in case we are needed. You have chosen some beautiful things to study and meditate on. I love the painting, it carries me back to my days in rural Tennessee.
Marnie
hey tc,
it's been a while, thank you!
marnie,
i do like being close at hand.
also, i like to have beautiful artistic things around me and taking notice of them is meditative.
that painting was done plein air style locally.
the shells were finds on sanibel island, the wooden vase from an artist in canada in port carling.
the burl wood piece from a local artist here in leiper's fork.
Oh how lovely, Marmee. I love all the things you showed too. And being in a room alone but hearing the family laughing just outside, is heaven on earth for me too!
Frances
great post - i can relate to wanting to be alone, or nearly alone (with the bustle of loved ones close by)...since having a little one around, i've found that it's difficult for me to even be "alone in my thoughts" - there's always a "mommy!" to interrupt reflection - and that might be the hardest thing to get used to!!!
Dear Marmee,
You've written a beautiful post that speaks to us, speaks to me! Then you showed us lovely images to go with them...I treasure my time alone, but love when our small family is all together; even the cat joins us in what ever room of the house we are sitting.
Keep warm Marmee...the cold winter winds are promising snow! I know if it does you will treat us to delightful photos! Can't wait!
Gail
frances, then we are kindred spirits in our quests for alone time with family nearby. delighted to have shown you some things you liked.
rissa, i hate to say but i'm not sure you ever get used to it, you just know it is your life and accept it. having had 6 little voices for so many years sometimes i wonder if it is my own voice i hear. lol!
just remember this when you have baby fever.
dear gail,
we are sitting by the fire with all this wind and cold air. i am doing home school work and some catching up on blogs. the wind is feirce today.
i am so glad you enjoyed this post of needing time alone and accepting it as necessary(that i am still working on.)
you too stay warm my friend.
Beautiful post and images Marmee.
A touching post, Marmee ... you are a beautiful woman both inside and out. And though I thrive on the gift of family, friends, and laughter, I too love my solitute. Because mothers are always doing for others, solitude is a gift for ourselves, when we can center down enough to fill empty holes with joy and quiet enough to hear the answer to our prayers.
The images you have chosen, and your words...beautiful!
Post a Comment