A love note for the weary

Weariness is more than just being physically tired. It’s tiredness coupled with being so worn down by emotional burdens that you threaten to crumble if one more demand is placed upon you.

It’s feeling as if your very soul is tired.

I want you to know that it’s ok to rest.

You don’t have to be strong every waking minute for all those who need you. They are able to exist without you for a little while.

I want you to know that resting is not a sign of weakness.

Indeed, without rest, there would be no strength.

Rest is to strength, what night is to day.

We welcome the day gladly with the sunrise, yet as the fingers of night steal across the sky, we are grateful for the sunset as it heralds the time for us to relax and renew. Without the darkness our appreciation of the sunlight would soon dwindle.

Tend to your strength. Nurture it, for it grants you fulfilment… and that means resting when you need to.

Rest is the fuel that gives your strength its power and its admirable stamina. It is as essential as food and water, not a frivolous luxury.

Rest comes in two flavours. Physical rest that revives the exhausted body and mental rest which rejuvenates the soul.

The weary need both.

Take some time for you.

Breathe. Deep.

Sleep the restorative sleep of the innocent, for you have nothing to be guilty about. Really, you don’t.

You give your best self to those who matter to you. You, and they, know that to be true. But you are not an infinite resource. You have to take care of you and take time to replenish so you can continue to be who you need to be for others.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you are the only one who can tend to their needs properly. While you may well be the best person for the job there will be others who are quite good enough. And good enough is good enough.

Others will be only too pleased to step in every so often… if only you asked. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re shirking your responsibilities, quite the opposite.

I hope you understand that.

Please don’t feel that you are somehow “less than” if you need help.

It simply means you are taking your role seriously enough to make sure you can sustain it. It’s a privilege to be asked for help… so don’t be afraid to ask.

Dam the torrent of demands and lists of things that need doing for a while. They may be clamouring for your attention but what is needed from you is very rarely a response to a life or death situation. It will wait.

Press pause, and still your mind.

Rinse the fatigue from your soul by engaging in activities that make your heart swell and your soul sing, then carry that song along with you to lift your spirits should they begin to falter.

Think of rest as the wind in your sails. Your ship can’t sail without it. With it, you can steer your course and enjoy your voyage and feel the sun on your face.

I urge you not to put off resting until you’re on your knees and feel as if you can’t go on. When you have no alternative but to stop it takes much longer to recover… and it’s avoidable.

You are not an afterthought. You matter.

Treat yourself as if you matter and everyone else will too.

P.S. If you know someone who needs to read this love note, please share it with them. x