The simple act of waking up on a Monday morning is, unless you are very fortunate in your career or school choice – not one that usually evokes feelings of bliss and excitement. For many of us as we lay our heads down Sunday night to end what hopefully was a restful weekend is the nagging knowledge that it has all come to an end. That we will wake up to face the stress, anxiety, drudgery and otherwise complicated existence of our school and work lives for the next five days.
I’ve faced many such Sunday evenings, to be followed by many such Monday mornings with the script playing endless and predictably, deadlines, tension, watching your back and never really sure who has your best interests in mind. The best we can do often is smile in the face of adversity and remind ourselves that we’re doing this to achieve a goal, whether it be providing for our families or saving up to pay off debts or for that dream vacation. Whatever our motivation, they call it work not play for a reason.
Where ever I happen to be working I try to find something pleasant in my surroundings, usually this takes place during my all too brief lunch breaks. After a quick bite I take my respite in walking, getting to know my surroundings and try my best to appreciate the goodness in them. Whether it is a beautiful building a quiet park or the comfort of friends that work close by I have always tried to find something positive in my surroundings; something to be thankful for other than the paycheque (often spent before we even receive it) deposited in my bank account every two weeks.
Not to say that the money is not important or not appreciated. Money certainly is not everything as the saying goes; but it is right up there with air in terms of things we require for our needs and pleasures in this life.
As the week goes by we sweat, stress, and lose sleep working to take care of our physical and emotional needs, these can be taken care of by family or friends, or just as often those emotional needs are simply and superficially met by the knowledge that the fortnightly deposit of a paycheque enables us to feed, house and clothe our families for another, week, month, or even next few days, but usually for not much longer than that.
Something is always missing, something that ties it all together. For me that something is a walk a mere block and a half away to Christ Church Deer Park. A grand old building somewhat of a fixture in old Toronto It’s beautiful stained glass and creaky old wood encased in magnificent stone work is for me a lunch time oasis of peace and reflection.
It’s place where I can say thank you for the day so far, a place where I can rest my burdens in the hands of something bigger than myself, in a living God that knows who I am and what I need. I have always learned something from my struggles, from my day to day triumphs and failures and the sum of those experiences both good and bad have made me who I am, in my own way I am thankful, and give thanks for them all.
Those moments of reflection before starting my day, or in the midst of it nourish me in a different way. Yes I’m thankful for what I have, thankful for where I am. I know that I am important to those around me, that I am needed and have a place in this world as we all do. A day starts off better with a good breakfast for your body, a hug and kiss goodbye from the family, and to top it off something that binds all these separate parts together. Prayer for breakfast, soul food for the busy week ahead.
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