I sat down to savor beautifully home-cooked meals, filled with fresh, healthy ingredients that nourished my body–meals I didn’t have to cook. Even though I offered, I didn’t have to lift a finger to set the table or wash a single dish. Instead, they simply invited me to be served.
The gift of simply being
Meanwhile, we spent hours wrapped in cozy conversation with like-minded people. Even when we disagreed, we engaged in thoughtful and engaging discussions. More importantly, I felt like I belonged rather than like I was odd, shamed, and undesirable. There was no pressure to be anything other than who I was.
And then, we prepared for a hike. It started a flurry of motion–backpacks packed with water and snacks, layers gathered, every detail handled. But this time, I wasn’t the one orchestrating it all. I wasn’t the organizer, the planner, or the host. And in that moment, I realized what a gift it was to simply participate.
Letting go of doing
Sometimes, we get stuck in our roles of doing too much. We forget how to sit down, rest, and receive. That internal drive keeps pushing long after it’s necessary. I forget to allow people to do for me the way that I love to do for others.
When I exist in spaces where I feel the need to be “on,” it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that I don’t have to earn my worth. That’s why I retreat to those places and visit those people who remind me that it is okay to just “be.” I need the reminders–to slow down, to let go, to remember that my value isn’t tied to what I produce. That I am loved and accepted, just as I am.
So, find your place. Go there with your people. Let yourself be refueled and recharged. Allow yourself to be served and cared for. Most importantly, slow down and embrace the simple joy of participating in life.
It’s okay. You deserve it. And it might be exactly what you needed.