Peacefulness

Did you miss me?  I just returned from a deliciously long four-day weekend at a cabin retreat in the hills.  The kiddos had Spring Break and this year we decided to go somewhere close and do something relaxing versus something touristy.

Here's the view from the Cracker Barrel rocker on the back porch:

Unedited photo from my camera. Have I mentioned I love my camera?

There are some of my favorite people in the  WHOLE WIDE WORLD.

And here's the view OF the back porch:

Delightful!  The weather was my perfect weather - sunny, high 60's, and pouring down rain at night.  You could smell it in the air and hear it on the roof.  With all those trees there, the air was so pure and clear and cool.  One deep breath and you could just feel the tension and stress melt away.

The vacation consisted of sleeping in, reading, napping, doing crafts, hiking, coffee, rocking, napping, sitting by a fire, eating, fishing (son and dad), napping, hot tubbing  and watching movies (Kids only. Hubs and I were not interested in watching TV).  Did you get the emphasis on napping?  Two different days I found myself falling asleep in the wing back chair by the open window, even with the noise of the kids in the forefront.  All I needed was some support hose and grey hair to complete the picture of an old granny falling asleep in the middle of a family gathering.  It was great! I'm practicing for 25 years from now.

This morning I woke up feeling so rested and ready for my week and I was reflecting over my morning coffee and devotions about how much I seek peacefulness in my life and how our weekend was the perfect example of it.  The hubs and I are peaceful pretty much all of the time together.  My kids and their friends were such a delight to be around with very little conflict or bickering and they all pitched-in at the end to clean up the cabin with absolutely no complaints.  It was wonderful.  The older I get, the less tolerance I have for unnecessary drama of any kind and I actually have found a certain level of disdain for people who seek it.

I really don't get it.  I know adults in their 30s,40s, 50s and beyond who constantly seem to be in an upset about something or with somebody.  They get bent out of shape over the smallest of things, waging a grudge against the slightest wrong, and seem hellbent on their latest vendetta.  I say "Get over yourself already."

I saw a quote once that said "Life is not a dress rehearsal." * and that is the heart of what I was feeling this morning.  This is my one life I'm going to have and I don't want to waste one minute of it not being as peaceful as I can.  I want to let those slight injustices just roll off my back, give grace and have mercy upon people around me, and truly be an example to my children and others of what it means to live a life as free of unnecessary drama as possible.

It doesn't mean that I'm not ever going to be righteously indignant over something, or that I am not going to stand up for what is right in the face of something that is wrong even if it creates conflict.  Sometimes there is necessary conflict and you deal with it.  But as for the petty junk that some people seem to thrive on, that's not going to be me.

*Upon investigation, it appears that the "Life is not a dress rehearsal" quote came from Rose Tremain, a British author.