Pause. Be still. Take a break. Breathe.
I hear a mantra in Carol’s call for us to reflect on the word “Pause.” My summer has been a time for pause, a time to reflect and rest. Here I am on the first day of August awake before the sun. Teachers report back to school today. My pausing time is at an end.
So especially today, I want to remind myself that even though I will be in the classroom among the hubbub of school activities, bells, schedules, carpool, crazy, I can still make space for pause.
A pause can be small.
Stop to notice.
Breathe in a peaceful moment.
Look at a child.
Rest in their smile.
Pause is a peaceful word,
the sound of silence
in the midst of my day.
As I drive the country roads,
I can pause to notice the clouds,
how they drift without direction
or concern.
Soften your eyes. Notice where your body
feels pain or anxiety. Speak to it.
Honor the feeling, then release it.
You can do this, I tell myself.
You can be calm, open to what the day
offers. Rest in the knowledge that all
will be well. All will be well.
Reflections on the Teche 
This poem is a keeper…I love how you have identified varied ways to pause in the busyness of school. I am going to keep this poem in my pocket for my first week at least. xo
Margaret, thank you for your poem that honors the sacred pause. One of my favorite thoughts is:
Soften your eyes. Notice where your body
feels pain or anxiety. Speak to it.
Honor the feeling, then release it.
This is a thought that I will work on today while I visualize your beautiful climbing sunflowers dressed in a vivid yellow.
Your mantra is filled with a lovely recipe for the day.
Pause. Be still. Take a break. Breathe.
Since you wrote this before I was able to post, can you please sign in to Mr. Linky at the bottom of my post so other writers can visit your blog? (https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2024/08/pause-to-reflect-on-spiritual-journey.html)
Margaret, may your first day of work for 2024-2025 be blessed with many delightful pauses.
Margaret, two words in your poem jump out at me. “Pause.” “Breathe.” So often it seems that we are always on the go. We don’t take the time to do these two simple actions. As a result, we miss so much. I think we sometimes tend to forget that we don’t need to be a part of everything that is happening around us. It is OK to pause and just be.
Margaret: Wishing you a good school year with many pauses and smiles. I have been watching clouds a lot lately. They can be so majestic and beautiful, the light behind them, the shapes constantly growing and changing. Even though I’m retired from school and library, it seems I don’t always have as much time to watch them as I would like. Even in retirement, we can only pause so long! Haha. Enjoy your school time. It can be so rewarding.
Love your sunflower photo and poem. I remember dreading jumping back in, but then the students arrived and with them the excitement of a new year!
A pause can be small, peaceful, and restful. Thanks for reminding us. I am printing your poem for my book of thoughts.
Have a great beginning and a wonderful year!
I love your nod to Julian of Norwich: All will be well. Nothing works better to help me pause than to inhale deeply and recall these words. Thank you for the reminder. I hope you are blessed with a joyful year of school hubbub!