Changing with the Seasons
Some friends and I were chatting this past week about rhythms of tidying in our homes. We don’t want Saturdays to be fully filled with catching up on the house but wondering how that day could be more relational and restful by spreading the load throughout the rest of the week. I shared that I don’t have a specific list or cleaning/tidying protocol that I go by, but instead prefer to intuitively make choices about what needs cleaning and about the distribution of work among the family. We tidy daily, but more so on Fridays, not from a list but from what I notice needs tending. This particular rhythm works for me during the school year but isn’t how I run my home in the summer or over breaks. That’s why I find cleaning lists unappealing: my home and schedule change regularly.
When I consider any routine in my life, I have come to see that a good past decision isn’t necessarily a good decision for always. An exercise rhythm that works in the summer like water aerobics with friends in the outdoor community pool won’t work in the winter. The way I cook changes with each season. Winter is filled with hot stews and savory casseroles. Spring transitions us to begin to use the grill again. Summer menus are filled with salads. Fall offers me all things pumpkin. My winter morning routine has been structured around warmth: hot drinks, blankets, and coziness but now that we are in full Spring here in the South, I have recognized that I need a new morning routine structured around energy.
For the past two and a half weeks, my morning routine has felt stale and off. Many times I would think it was due to a lack of self-discipline and would try to bootstrap my way back, stuck in a rhythm that wasn’t serving me anymore, instead of pivoting towards what would be life-giving. Sometimes we get angry at ourselves when we can’t keep up with consistent rhythms in the way we used to, instead of asking: Do I need to recognize that I am in a different season and therefore the rhythms need to change? This question can be applied to everything: home, community, social obligations, service, parenting, educating, cooking, hobbies. What works then doesn’t always work now. Instead of “trying harder”, notice if the season has shifted and if you need fresh tweaks in the way your order your days. If you have a new spring sports schedule with your kids, then the way you plan meals changes. If you are attending more social events now that COVID protocols are changing, then you have to figure out other times to nurture your hobbies. And if that cozy cup of hot tea and warm blanket don’t set the stage for connection with the Lord, then maybe I need to move to a sunny spot, or have my times with him on the back porch, and drink a big glass of water with lemon.
Spring is a transition time. Our winter routines need to transition to recognize the warmer weather, the longer days, the changing school and sports schedules. We just finished Spring Break, and now is a great time to evaluate our rhythms and pivot toward ways that serve us well until summer. If there are areas of your home life that aren’t working anymore, question whether you are having an old set of expectations that worked in January but don’t now. I am off to ponder my morning rhythm and to breathe some fresh life into it again!
Enjoying the azaleas,
Aimee