A little respite for our souls…

I need a little respite for my soul, soul, soul

take a little time to leave my cares behind,
find a little comfort and some peace of mind,
some time to sit with myself and be still.
–Pat Humphries, Same Rain

This Labor Day, I went for a long walk with a friend and then came home and went upstairs to the attic space that serves as my sewing room, Mardi Gras costume storage space, and guest bedroom (among other assignments).  There I found a little respite for my soul.

In the scraps of fabric – some silk from my mother’s once fancy tunic, chenille from her old robe, denim from my favorite pair of jeans that finally gave up the ghost, tartan flannel from the Mardi Gras long ago that involved Scots and cloned sheep (that one made sense at the time…maybe? Dolly, that was her name!) – I found memories and stories and just what I was looking for to make the waves for a quilt top ocean I am creating for my niece.    In the space of re-membering and creating anew, I found a little respite for my soul.

Friends, the organizing goes on and on. Art, too, is a form of resistance. Creative time, relational time – these are important parts of disrupting the internalized narrative of a dominant culture that thrives on manager time and individuality. Whatever brings a little respite for your soul – may you be able to take the time, to find a little comfort and some peace of mind.

Because sometimes we need to sit with ourselves and be still in order to join with others and build the movement. It is, always, a both/and kind of world, beloveds.  Even as we navigate the turmoil of the struggle, may we give ourselves permission to know an inner peace that can sustain us for the long haul.