Loving Yourself

"Once in a while you have to take a break
and visit yourself." - Audrey Giorgio

Today I'm joining In "Other" Words hosted by the Christian Women Online's page. The quote above is today's inspiration for my ramblings today...

What does it mean to "visit oneself"? For me it's very simple... when I go and visit someone, say, a dear friend, whom I haven't seen in a long while, I plan to have lots of fun interspersed with periods of quiet and maybe a few moments of reflection - about the past, the present and even of the future. I know that probably sounds geeky to some people but that's who I am and that's how I want to spend my time "visiting".

I remember a few months ago when a "sister" and I were together and we did precisely this - fun meant some shopping (more her, than me!), dining out while talking about diets (how fun can that get, right? but fun, nevertheless...), watching sappy, romantic films and laughing over dialogues and lead characters ("isn't she so like so and so back home...") ; periods of quiet meant visits to the spa, walks on lovely, rambling roads, sleeping in and waking up to a sumptuous brunch; meditation meant hieing off to a nearby retreat center and pondering life in general.

Using that as a concrete example, that's how I like to "visit myself" though obviously I can't do all that in one day! So some visits will be spent doing fun stuff, and some days (more like PMS days) will be spent resting, propping up my feet and reading a really good book, and definitely, some visits will just be quiet and spent in prayer and reflection - either on a beach, on a mountain top, in the middle of a busy gym watching a sunset, or by the bay, driving through Manila's quiet roads early in the morning and watching the sunrise.

Lately I have spent a lot of time meeting up with old friends and re-connecting. I also love all those moments spent with my children and the precious time in ministry with my roomie and our occasional dinner and movie dates. I also enjoy hanging out with my girls at the office who are like extended family to me. Time is spent more wisely now with people who truly matter - and now, that includes loving and spending time with me.

Visits with oneself, or solitude, is essential to keeping sane in today's world where we are easily sapped by the demands of life. Motherhood, wife-hood and career definitely take it's toll on one's psyche. Women are so good at nurturing (we were born for the task!) others but often we find it extremely difficult to take care of ourselves. I always like to say, "You cannot give what you do not have." I find that I am a better wife, a better mother, a kinder friend, a more efficient boss after I have spent time visiting myself. More importantly, those visits provide me with the inspiration to move on to the next task. The quiet visits are best because they allow me to be with myself and my Father. My heart becomes lighter, the mind clearer and the spirit more receptive to what is He wants me to do -- until the time for the next visit comes along.

P.S. I've put a map on the right side of this page and I hope you can sign on and let me know which part of the world you are coming from. To my friends and readers in Manila, please feel free to sign on too even if the Philippines looks "crowded". The room is never too small when shared with a friend :) mushy! Have a blessed week!