Thankful For: Time Alone

One of the best things about my husband is that he encourages me to take the time I need to mentally recharge. He allows me the freedom to go out as much as I want to for as long as I would like to no questions asked. I don't often take him up on his ever present offer, but I am getting better at doing so. I used to think that only selfish moms recharged. I used to think that I had to give and give and give to my family until I could give  no more and be completely depleted of everything that I have.

I used to think that, but now I know better. 

I still struggle with taking enough time for myself. And there are still times when I get depleted, but I am slowly learning to not allow myself to get to that point.  I cannot be a good mom to my kids if I am not good to myself first. 

Last Saturday I spent the day at the ocean. Just me, myself, and I. I left before lunch and got back around 8:30 pm. I took my journal, some books, and my camera and walked down to Crescent Beach where I took the sunshine and the waves. I didn't explore too much as the waves were ferocious and were constantly coming up on the shoreline in a way that only the truly daring would chance exploring the caves and crevices on the beach. So, I found myself a nice rock upon which to make camp. It wasn't supposed to be sunny that day, but God knew how much I needed the sun I guess and surprised me a beautiful day.

Given that this is November 1st I thought I would try to spend as much time as I can this month writing about the things I am thankful for. It will help me to see all of the good in my life even when life is hard. So, in that vein here is the the first thing I am thankful for this month:

I am thankful for time alone.

 I am thankful even more for time alone in Mother Nature. I always walk away feeling refreshed and recharged after a day at the forest, the ocean, the mountain, or the desert. Being in nature reminds of what is important in life. It helps to redirect my thoughts on the unimportant and insignificant and focuses them on all that really matters to me. Being in alone in nature is where I feel most beautiful. It is where I feel the most authentic. It is where I feel the most at home.

This is what my day looked like:

I always feel like I walking through Narnia when I take the path from Escola State Park down to Crescent Beach. The trees and the stillness make me feel like I could see Aslan at any moment.