Do you feel guilty when you aren't being productive? Here's why I've started viewing Sundays as a time for restoration instead of constant work—and why rest isn't wasted time.
One thing I've noticed about myself lately is that I have a hard time doing... well... nothing.
Ever since COVID, I've worked from home. My office is in the basement, which means work is always one flight of stairs away.
"I'll just answer one email."
"I'll check tomorrow's schedule."
"I'll knock out one quick thing."
An hour later, I'm still downstairs.
The funny part is I actually enjoy slowing down. I love putting on a record, taking a walk, watching Gio play baseball, or sitting outside with a cup of coffee.
But even on a Sunday, there's this little voice in my head that says, You should be doing something.
Maybe it's because I'm a business owner.
Maybe it's because I genuinely enjoy solving problems.
Maybe it's because I've always believed in carpe diem.
I've started wondering if I've been defining "seize the day" too narrowly.
What if sometimes the best way to seize the day is simply to experience it?
Not scrolling.
Not multitasking.
Not feeling guilty.
Just being exactly where you are.
The older I get, the more I think Sunday has a different job than Monday.
Monday is for building.
Sunday is for restoring.
That doesn't mean I can't spend thirty minutes planning the week or answering an important email. As a business owner, that's probably always going to be part of my life.
But I don't want work to quietly consume the day just because my office is downstairs.
I've also written about protecting the flame that keeps us grounded through difficult seasons. I'm realizing that rest isn't separate from protecting the flame.
It is one of the ways we protect it.
Because the truth is, there will always be another email.
Another project.
Another investment to research.
Another blog post to write.
There won't always be this Sunday.
There won't always be kids who still want to throw a baseball in the backyard.
There won't always be another quiet morning with a record spinning and a cup of coffee in my hand.
Maybe that's the point.
Rest isn't something we earn after we've finished everything.
Because if you're anything like me, you'll never finish everything.
Maybe the best way to seize the day isn't to do more.
Maybe it's to be fully present for the one you're already living.
Fall is the season for rewatching what lasts. From Halloween with my son to the golden glow of When Harry Met Sally and the timeless lessons of Dead Poets Society, these are the movies that make autumn feel complete — and the ones I want my kids to carry with them.
A walk through the woods brought me face to face with an owl, the call of a flicker, the sweet scent of pawpaws, and the rhythm of hollow logs. Sometimes the forest carries you, and all you can do is listen.
We moved to the DMV thinking we were immune to allergies. Four years later, we were congested, cranky, and armed with a four-step plan to stop sinus infections in their tracks.
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