Gal Pals Day Out
Had such a fun and relaxing day yesterday….just have to share.
A friend of mine bought a new house in the country, and she was excited to have me come visit. So, she, I and a mutual friend of ours, drove upstate after Seth left for school, and we spent a leisurely afternoon and evening at her home.
It was a lovely day on many levels.
I feel like I’m racing the clock on a daily basis, so to allow myself the opportunity for a day away from my computer (though I did have my Blackberry), was a treat. Since she is spending only sporadic time at the house right now, it’s not fully furnished, and there was something to be said for the sparseness of it. The energy felt free-flowing. And, the views from her oversized windows were impressive. Corn fields. A pond. Mountains. Canadian geese. Ok…..the geese pooped all over her deck on the pond, so the serene picture wasn’t perfect, but then, what in life is?!
One of my friends who came is adept at decorating, planning out home spaces, etc., so she went to work immediately offering advice on what might be done. It was cool to hear the ideas she was coming up with and to watch her mind at work. She is an artist, so I’m in awe of her talent as is.
My other friend composes music, and she proudly showed us her new Yamaha keyboard, and I thought how amazing it must be to write music in the country and hear it played in this woodsy home with expansive ceilings, etc. I’m sure it sounds wonderful.
I was content just laying back, though I did help my artist friend work on a proposal for an art exhibition she’d like to submit to. It felt good to put on my thinking cap for someone else. Sometimes I feel so caught up in my own projects and endeavors, that it’s helpful to step outside my own arena and brainstorm on another person’s behalf. It reminded of my pre-motherhood days when I used to work in Manhattan for a PR firm and was constantly producing for clients looking to make headlines re: their products or services. I loved seeing what I could come up with and how the press would respond.
Yesterday, each of us also did our own thing for part of the time in the house, and I liked the vibe of being with other creatve entrepreneurs all working toward our respective goals. It’s so isolating, I find, working from my house on Long Island. I’m a big people person, yet I’m a sole practitioner who is home-based.
As the afternoon progressed, we took a ping pong break. It felt like a trip down memory lane. I can’t remember the last time I played ping pong or where I played, but I remembered that I always liked it. And, my skill came back. I played pretty well, especially considering it’s been years since I picked up a paddle. And, as leisurely as we all tried to take the game, alternating playing singles, the competitive streak came out in each of it, and the game took on zealous speed. It somehow reminded me of my life…bouncing back ‘n forth between various pursuits.
I now want to get a ping pong table, if we can fit it in our basement.
We left her house late, and it was raining and so very dark, but still peaceful. We stopped at a Mexican place and had an after hours dinner, and I returned home around midnight. I was yawning away in her car, yet when my head hit the pillow, I was wired and couldn’t sleep. It had been both an exhilarating and calming day.
I felt like a free woman for the day. Not a mom. Not a wife. Not a daughter. Just Robin. The Robin who is more capable that she might think of laying back.
I need to tap into that Robin more often. I think all us busy multi-tasking “later” moms need to take the time to soothe our inner spirit, rejuvenate, and remind ourselves of who we were before motherhood.
Our children, mates, etc. will probably like us all the better for it, because we will ultimately be happier if we recapture any joy from yesteryear that feels lost. Or, even if it doesn’t feel lost, but has taken on a different shape, it still feels good to rediscover activities we loved and the joy of both play and doing nothing.
I look forward to teaching my son the rules of ping pong one day.
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