This weekend was pretty special. My father-in-law is in town for the week. He came for a visit and to assemble a playground for my kids in our new backyard. On Sunday, we came home from Mass and went outside to play for a bit and eat our lunch. We then stayed outside until dinner time.

It was a beautiful afternoon. The warm sun shone down on us in a clear blue sky. Alison took down some more chicken wire and picked up bricks that were inexplicably strew across our backyard. I cleaned up my workbench, swept the garage, and washed cars. Grandpa got to play and play with the kids on their new fort.

There was something cathartic about a day well spent, and one spent outside. It’s been a long, hard winter. More than that, we’re all fatigued from a year of being cooped up. An entire afternoon spent in the great outdoors and checking off projects just felt good. I breathed deeply and felt the hope that comes with the first signs of Spring.

In the eight years that I’ve shared my thoughts and life on this blog, I’ve observed many times that idleness seems like rest, but rarely is. When the sun went down and the kids tucked into their beds, I spent another 90 minutes cleaning and tidying up inside. I felt tired. That tired feeling that affirms that I spent my day the right way, using it to accomplish good work.

Work and play may be exhausting, but they can also be restorative. I’m going to try to spend more days working, playing, and praying.

Tags: Wellness