A Time to Retreat

By April Eckwielen

The busyness of the holiday season is upon us. We may feel like we are being pulled every which way with our everyday schedules, plus all of the added chaos that comes with this time of year. We feel like we always have to be on the go or nothing will get done, when in reality what we need to do is take a break and retreat.

Just because this time of year is hectic does not mean that you have to give in to the madness. Yes, we want to get all the shopping done, food cooked, attend the special events and visit with everyone, but we have to keep in mind to take some time for ourselves.

Winter is a time for retreat, self reflection and restoring ourselves. It is not a selfish act if you decide to curl up at home and relax rather than go to the third holiday party this week. Taking this time to restore your body and mind is the most perfect gift you can give yourself this time of year.

Check out some of the following things that you can do to retreat and restore yourself during this busy time of year:

• Start by doing less. This may be hard for some of you, but by allowing yourself to do less and slow down, you can create a wonderful new balance in your life. It is ok to say no to invitations or favors asked. You do not have to be at every event or do everything for others.
• Take time for you. Whether you want to enjoy a relaxing yoga class, sip a cup of tea while reading a book or go for a quiet walk, do it! Take this time to do things that you enjoy and also allow you time for your own reflections on the year. Incorporating “me time” is a great way to restore yourself.
• Find comfort. Get into those comfy and soft clothes. Eat special dishes that you grew up with that gave you comfort. Curl up in your bed and take a much deserved nap. Enjoy this time where you can be relaxed and comfortable.
• Check in. If you keep a journal, go back throughout the year and reflect on things you wrote about. Start a new entry of things you are looking forward to in the upcoming year. If journaling is not your thing, then sit and meditate on the past year and find peace in what you experienced and start envisioning the year to come.

Allowing yourself to take a step back and focus on you during this time of year is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. This retreat and restoration is so important by not only letting you look back on things you have done, but to have you focus on the things yet to come. Let yourself just be. You will be amazed at what you get in return.

Gratitude for a Place Called Home

By April Eckwielen
 

I grew up in a very close-knit family. We weren’t that extended family that only saw each other at the big life events like weddings, graduations and funerals. We saw each other on a weekly basis as well as every holiday, birthday, anniversary, school function etc. My favorite day of the week was Sunday. This was when we would gather at my grandparents’ house. We would spend all day there, playing with my cousins, eating a big family meal, taking trips to the local convenience store for candy (when we couldn’t raid the walnut-shaped candy dish in the living room with the squirrel on top) and just being together. It was my constant and the one placed I truly called “home.”

Of course, I had a home of my own, but my grandparents’ house was the place that truly held up the definition of home. I felt comfortable there and made so many amazing memories in that house. My mother and I moved from place to place for a bit and my grandparents’ house was the one thing I knew would not change. Traditions were made and preserved there, and I made a quiet oath to myself that when I grew up and had a family of my own, that I would pass down some of those traditions and also create new ones so my children could look back and know what the meaning of family was.

I moved away from that home 21 years ago to a place 1500 miles away from all of the familiarity and tradition. I would visit my home whenever I could, but I was now beginning to take that oath I made and make it into a reality. I started my family and wanted to instill in it the traditions I grew up with, along with adding some of our own uniqueness. Holidays were difficult at first because we now had two families to visit, but soon decided that our house would be the hub for spending Christmas together. We at least had this time to all be together and that was our number one priority. 

This past summer, I was able to visit and walk through my grandparents’ old house. I hadn’t been in that house in 26 years, even though every time I went home I made a priority of driving by it. Walking through those doors brought back so many wonderful memories. I walked through that house looking around and knowing exactly everything about it. Even though there was new paint on the walls and some renovations to the space, I saw it as it was 26 years ago. It was like I went back in time and nothing had changed. Everything was as I remembered it. The energy I felt walking through the space confirmed what my heart was saying: this was my home. My need for that connection with that house and my family was amplified. It made me treasure the time I spent there and made me look forward to the memories I have yet to make with my children and our families.

The kindness of the family that now lives in my grandparents’ house is something I will be forever grateful for. The ability to soak in the energy of that space again was the perfect gift.The gratitude I have for this place I called home is abundant. I may no longer live there, but its energy will stay within me forever. The gratitude I have for this place I called home is abundant. I may no longer live there, but its energy will stay within me forever.