Take a Breath

Hello loves!

It's the end of the shortest month of the year. Spring has been peeking in through brief moments of warm weather and sunshine. The newness and hectic chaos of January has tapered into maintaining new habits or ignoring 2025 resolutions. February, much like November, is one of these weird in-between months.

It's not the beginning or end of a new year. It's not associated with a changing season or weather. And for most people, work or school doesn't get too crazy during this time.

I feel like it's easy to slip into an autopilot during these limbo periods. You do just enough of what you have to do, but not anything too extra and beyond. You whittle away at tasks so that the full impact is less painful when life picks up again. But I doubt that most people view February as the time to start spring cleaning or studying for the midterm or getting their perfect beach body.

This weird state of existing in anticipation isn't limited to a month. Life is full of these limbo moments. The summer before a first year at college, that period between one job ending and another beginning, that space where the house is already packed up but you don't set off for your new home for another couple of hours or days.

And sure, for a second these in-between spaces are used to party or travel or whatever else you want to do but can't during "normal" times. But, like being stuck at the airport for over an hour, the limbo state loses its charm.

Other people start slipping off to college or a career or married life. You've visited all the places you want to go to, or have completed every project you didn't have time for while working. Eventually, the old packed-up house feels stifling as you count down the minutes until that moving truck arrives and you can go.

You can't return to the past. But you aren't in the future, yet. You just are.

And I think that can sometimes be exactly where we need to be.

Unless you've mastered perfect nirvana or live self-sufficently, I think most people would say they're overworked. Life is just busy, busy, busy, and we live in a weird time where it's a flex to be super stressed out and overwhelmed. I know we've all at least once had a conversation that went like:

Person A: "Ugh, I had a busy morning. I had to drop my kids off at school (or dog at doggy daycare) then hurry to work so I wouldn't be late for the two meetings I had."

Person B: "Oh, I totally get that. I'm so busy today, too. I had to drop my kids off at two different schools that are three hours apart and then run to my job on foot because my car broke down, and then I had ten meetings in a row while also having six appointments lined up--"

I know I'm making it silly, but you know what I mean. There's always someone out there who hears you express fatigue and feels the uncontrollable urge to one-up you by bragging about how exhausted and stressed and miserable they are.

We've also all been that person, too.

And that's fine to a certain extent. I am a huge supporter of venting and not bottling things up. If you had a crappy, overwhelming day that left you just wanting to scream into the void, there's nothing wrong with sharing your feelings with a friend or loved one or therapist.

But this whole societal shift of "I'm better than you because I'm busier than you" is so weird. Like okay? Congratulations? You have a pending stomach ulcer and can't remember the last time you were able to function without an IV of caffeine, and I'm supposed to believe that's a good thing?

Personally, I don't want to strive for shadows under my eyes or neck issues from holding my tension in. (I already have both of those and it sucks.) I think humans were designed to work, absolutely, and we definitely should take pride in our accomplishments. But I don't think "being busy" should consume our lives.

And that's why I kind of like the weird limbo spaces. Yeah, they can get kinda boring at times. There were definitely days when I was unemployed where I felt like the typewriter scene in the Shining. But I also learned to really appreciate the in-between days, too.

I stopped viewing life's limbos as this bland purgatory where I'm stuck worrying about the future and comparing myself to other's "busy and successful" lives. Instead, I tried to start seeing them as a gift. A chance where I could take it slow and easy and just enjoy the fact that I'm alive.

Not to get all cheesy or sentimental, but I really don't think we do that enough. So many times we're just trying to get through the day, that we don't notice how amazing it is to be alive. We don't stop to enjoy the sun's warmth or notice the beauty of the world around us. And we definitely struggle with valuing the people in our lives the way we should.

The fact is, there's nothing wrong with being in a busy or limbo period. They're both just seasons of our lives that we go through. But, much like an actual season like winter or summer, we can't live in them forever. Nor should we.

If you ever watched Narnia, you must remember how miserable it was for the characters to be in an eternal winter. But a permanent summer or spring or fall would have just as many downsides. We'd miss the spring blooms or the peaceful winter evenings, the beauty of fall leaves and the lazy summer days in the water. All the seasons have their pros and cons.

And that's how being busy or not busy should be looked at too. So when you're busy, yes enjoy the work you're doing or the goals you're accomplishing. But don't forget to take a moment to breathe and appreciate everything around you. And when you're in the in-between, use that time to sink into your life, to rest outside in the world and recharge, and to spend time with the people you love. But don't fall into complacency either, or start thinking you'll never have to go back into a busy season.

Life is all about balance. So as the winter comes to a close and the warm weather is about to usher in a new wave of busyness, remember to take a breath and appreciate your life.

Love y'all!

"So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun."---Ecclesiastes 8:15