This is what happens when I try to take a day off

I went surfing today. I can count on one hand the times I have been surfing since having Star. My dear husband decided we had been working too hard and needed to spend time together like we used to. So I cleared my schedule and we dropped Star off at daycare as usual, then headed to the beach.

A thunderstorm had broken the heat wave we had been suffering, and it was raining – a lot. The sky was grey and ominous. Basically, it wasn’t very inviting at all. The surf was relatively flat, but also choppy due to the onshore winds. But it was a Monday morning and we had a wide, flat stretch of beach all to ourselves, with only the seagulls as company.

Being out on the ocean is like meditation and pilates in one. Great for the core and for the soul. Being able to catch some waves is the icing on the cake. And I did get some good ones – with the coaching of my darling husband, who patiently stayed in the water and cheered as I paddled and popped up. It was like old times.

I emerged from the ocean at 1pm, showered and changed, and checked my phone. A message saying could I do a radio interview at 3:30pm. We rushed home and unfortunately they didn’t end up calling. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back in touch with them as it will be a great opportunity to sell the Acupause study to the whole of Australia.

At 4:30pm, as I was getting dinner ready, the phone rang again. Daycare. Star had been bitten, not once, but twice, by her classmates. She was fine but might have a bit of bruising later. She was unbelievably cheerful, as usual, when I picked her up, but later this evening the bite marks became more prominent – several tiny arcs on her arm.

Is it a coincidence that the other parts of my life manouver their way into a day off? Can we ever really have a “day off”? What does that mean? I’m getting the idea that life is a rich tapestry of interwoven threads, not a patchwork of discrete blocks. And like surfing, a balancing act is not a static thing. It’s something you have to work to achieve with each wave that threatens to wipe you out. But with practice and sticking to the basics, you can ride that wave and enjoy it. “Paddle paddle paddle, feet together, push up, aim to the right”. Or, as my surf instructor in Noosa said, “Don’t stop until  you know you’ve got it”. Wise words.