Advent 13

Friday, Second Week of Advent
9 December 2022

A brief pause

In the brief moment between
Inhalation and Exhalation,
the point in your running stride when
both feet are off the ground,
is when your brain rests just enough
to rediscover the beauty of mediocrity,
of being pensive,
of appreciating yourself in all your imperfections.
 
Let yourself rest, so you may recall how 
the rush of flight is found in 
the absence of movement,
when you allow yourself to glide 
above the rafters 
with a clear mind and a blank slate. 
Life can be breathless, blurry,
but it is those lazy moments, 
between two beats of flying wings, 
where you are blessed enough to be provided with a view. 
 
Take that fleeting moment 
before your wings beat onward 
and sing a beautiful song 
to draw others up to the sky.

Especially during the holiday season, life is full of an almost dizzying amount of movement and energy. Here on campus, students push to finish big papers and tests, pick out presents for their loved ones, and complete the final stretch of the semester. Commercials on TV celebrate big moments, like a new car with a big red bow on the hood, elaborate feasts, and putting the star on top of a Christmas tree. It’s easy to focus on these climactic moments: they are often the culmination of our hard work and eager anticipation!
 
However, this holiday season, I’ve resolved to focus on the boring moments. The in betweens. The few seconds where my cup of tea hasn’t steeped yet, a webpage isn’t loading nearly fast enough, or my book’s page is mid-turn. The anticipation when the cake is still rising, an automatic door hasn’t opened enough to walk through, or the checkout line is annoyingly long. Instead of seeing these limbo moments as inconvenient, I’m seeing them as micro-opportunities to reflect and reconnect. I’m looking up to notice the people and environments around me. What sights, sounds, smells, and sensations had I not noticed before? Instead of checking my phone, I’m going to ask my little brothers what their favorite songs are, give my stressed, studying friend a hug, or just take a deep breath. Inhale, pause for a moment, and exhale. Relax my shoulders, jaw, and the space between my eyebrows; take a sip of water. Let myself just ~be~. 
 
We don’t need to earn rest. We don’t need to justify relaxation or accomplish something magnificent to warrant a pause. Embrace the in-betweens, the moments of transition, the tediousness, and give yourself a little more grace, patience, and love this holiday season. Give life’s little moments the opportunity to be just as magical and refreshing as the big ones. :)
 
Caroline (Caz) Ullem ’24