Running Away

Over the past week I've had the pleasure of sitting down with several friends, sharing a cup of tea and catching up on one another's lives.

What has been fascinating is a common thread running through nearly every single one of these conversations.  At some point during each visit, these women have expressed a secret longing or deep desire to "just run away".  What's interesting is that my friends are not using phrases like, "I need a vacation",  "I need a break", "I want to incorporate some change".  No, each one has said these words "I wish I could just run away".

This resonates with me.  I have felt the same way.  I too have spent some time lately day dreaming about running away and making a fresh beginning.  In fact the desire for a fresh beginning was the catalyst for My Turquoise Kettle Life.  It is my attempt to live intentionally, be true to myself and to create a new chapter in my life while remaining physically rooted in the "old" life.  Some days its working and some days I wrap my arms around my husband's neck and whisper, "I just want to move away".

On those days I find myself to be quiet, contemplative, wondering, could we?  What would that look like?  I spend time on the MLS real estate internet site plugging in a search for an oceanside house in P.E.I. or Nova Scotia.  I picture myself painting in a converted barn/studio overlooking open spaces and ocean vistas, my dogs sleeping in the open doorway, while just beyond them windswept grasses bow to the ocean breeze.  In my new life I'm growing my own vegetables, painting brilliantly and  my life is above all quiet, very very quiet.

POP!  The logical/practical side of my brain reels me back in with arguments of aging parents, my family, friends, fears of the unknown and what if's.  What if I hate the place? What if I actually don't want such a quiet life??????

Sigh.  I try to analyze what actually seems so attractive about running away.  For myself its the excitment of designing a life from scratch.  The feeling of escaping sticky relationships and people's expectations (is that awful for me to admit?).

So for now, My Turquoise Kettle Life is here.  My daily challenge is to be selective about how I spend my time, energy, creativity, even my finances.  There will always be needy people and situations and while it is important to be generous, it seems that most of the women I know are at risk of giving too much of themselves away. We need to be reminded that not every good cause needs to be our cause and not every problem needs to become our problem.

So I'm not going to run away today.  What I will do is work to create a life and a home that is an oasis, a little refuge where, when the world gets to be much too much, I can run away to.

Thank you for taking the time today to visit My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Have a peaceful day,

Sandra