Inertia

One of the very best things about summer is that we don't have a schedule driving our every move. During the school year, the clock is always ticking. I get up at 5:30 am and I'm in nearly constant motion until 9:30 pm, when I pause to consider how much more I need to finish before I can call it a day.

I'm a teacher and a single mama and a lot of my days are about looking out for the needs of others. I'm not complaining (in fact, I dearly love what I do), but sometimes it takes its toll and there are days when I am beyond exhaustion. On a daily basis, I have two tools to keep my sanity: reading and working out. The third tool in my bag of tricks is summer vacation. Summer offers nearly 3 months to rest and restore. That prospect keeps me going when I get over-whelmed during the school year.

Come June, I'm ready for some down time. I feel that I've earned it. Though I consider it essential to my well-being, I am also aware that it's a luxury. And I'm always amazed at how quickly our active and busy lives slide into hours and hours of inertia. Though I get up at 8 am, last week I was hard-pressed to get out of the house in time for JT's swimming lesson (a five-minute drive for a lesson that doesn't begin until 10:45). Some days, getting my workout in during the morning means starting to run just seconds before noon; it's not at all rare for me shower in the afternoon.

I am okay with that.