Post holidays and not being busy!!

Back home after a truly lovely week away. There was a big gang of us covering four generations, from my little granddaughter Alba at eight months - to my Mum of 95 years. We stayed in a beautiful cottage on a headland on the delightful island of Anglesey with Fiona and her family staying in their campervan on a farm just down the road.

It was really just a lovely, lovely holiday! The weather was perfect, the odd shower of rain occurring either overnight or whilst we were having our breakfast. From the windows of the cottage we could see South Stack lighthouse and the sea and the cliffs around us. It was particularly lovely to be able to walk out of the door and find ourselves on a truly stunning cliff walk, with lots of little paths intertwined over the headland. In small and larger groups we would walk and talk. My Mum was in heaven as there is nothing she likes more than walking and talking, something her daughter has inherited!

So after 10 days of being in the company of my beautiful little granddaughter  and the rest of the family, I am now in an empty house and feeling a bit 'post holiday'. The symptoms of which seem to be an inability to do anything very much!

I look back and think how busy have been so many years, it is just so weird not to be busy. I think it must be a good thing for me to do, to spend a few days not being busy! So I will keep this blogg short and go back to not being busy!!

In Prague

I have woken up in Prague!

I arrived late last night having been to a meeting in London and realising the flights were so much cheaper from Stansted airport and that I had the weekend free -  so checked with Jimmy and Rachel and just pitched up! I suppose this is the joy of being a nomad! 

Had a lovely deep conversation with my Mum on Thursday - I had gone over after a phone appointment with her Doctor about getting some stronger painkillers when her back is bad - as the pain is very debilitating in spasms - and had found her lying on her bed upset with the pain - I went and got the prescription and then we just sat and talked for a couple of hours before going for quite a long walk in the sunshine.

Although my Mum doesn't remember the conversations she has, they are - at the time really sensible - it is a strange kind of memory loss - but actually it does mean you can have deep and meaningful conversations - but then she just doesn't remember them. I have thought about this a lot and - especially after last weekend's dancing - and believe that although her mind doesn't remember the pleasure of the conversation - her body does.

She can be very wise and perceptive in these conversations and said she knew I was leaving. I hadn't told her and maybe someone else did - I was surprised she would have remembered that - so maybe she intuitively knew and felt I was going away. Anyway she gave me her blessing which felt important.

Now Jimmy and Rachel are up so time to go to the market!

Dancing emotions

I am on the  third day of an Andrew Holmes Heartbeat workshop. We have been dancing emotions and dancing deep.  Connecting with our bodies in a way that we don't usually do, taking time to feel if how different emotions resonate within our bodies. Andrew started with this poem by Rumi  and I just love it. To think about emotions neutrally, neither good nor bad, to be welcomed and respected and treated honourably as a guest. Acknowledging that guests are temporary but being grateful for the learning that each one of them brings.

The Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house. 
Every morning a new arrival. 

A joy, a depression, a meanness, 
some momentary awareness comes 
as an unexpected visitor. 

Welcome and entertain them all! 

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, 
who violently sweep your house 
empty of its furniture, 
still, treat each guest honourably.

He may be clearing you out 
for some new delight. 

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, 
meet them at the door laughing, 
and invite them in. 

Be grateful for whoever comes, 
because each has been sent 
as a guide from beyond.

Rumi wrote this poem  800 years ago and  it is just so true!