Nurture

I'm back from my annual trip to Chincoteague, a barrier island of the Virginia coast. The neighboring island, Assateague, is uninhabited by humans, but is home to two herds of wild horses. I took this picture last week of a mare and her foal. This trip at the end of summer, before the onslaught of events that fall brings, has become a welcome period of rest for me. It led me to think this week about rest and nurture.

Rest isn't always restorative. The extent to which we restore ourselves during periods of rest is connected to nurture. What leads you to feel held? What around you brings you a sense of support? We know that when we work with spirits we are never really alone. Yet asking for nurture and support is hard for many of us. Sometimes it feels so foreign that it doesn't even come to mind. When is the last time you asked for restoration? When is the last time you sought out your own healing?

It's a hard thing. Our culture pushes us to keep moving, keep doing, keep achieving. The idea of rest seems like something we have to sandwich in between all the other items on our to-do lists. But rest is a necessity, as is support. Sometimes we have to learn to be still before we can sense the support that is available. By slowing down and building relationships with the unseen world, we can shift our understanding of support, nurture, and rest.