September 11, 2019 - Nesting: Protecting Space
“Turn the TV on right now” is what I heard eighteen years ago this morning.
“Why?” I wondered aloud.
“You have to see what is happening in New York.”
When I turned on my Garden City, Idaho television, I thought I was watching a movie – not the morning news. What unbelievable events followed that day! Many of us remember what we were doing September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center towers in New York were attacked by airplanes flown into the buildings; along with the attacks executed at the Pentagon and deterred over Pennsylvania throughout the day.
Protecting space is what comes to mind today, September 11, 2019. Protecting space for peace, for family and friends, and for well-being. Nesting includes having a safe and protecting space in which to live and work, in which to be alone or with family and friends. Nesting includes a sense of home that is healthy, joy-filled, and encouraging.
Some acts of protecting space – in a nesting sense – include:
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Calendaring time for oneself and for family members. Maybe it is family game night; an annual camping weekend; book club; or a spa weekend with friends. Maybe protecting calendar space is about a weekly time you save for yourself to do something that feeds your soul. In 2009, our family began calendaring the week around September 11 as Family Week because one of our child-members had been present during an arrest on September 11, 2006 that took the child away from bio-mom – permanently. Protecting this week from activities that might distract us from the needed extra energy to get the child and ourselves through the week has remained important over the course of the last decade. What calendar time do you protect? What will you begin protecting?
- Interestingly while writing this blog, the now teen-aged child called me to say that she just “realized what today is and I can’t stay at school.” So, I suggested protecting space to regroup, to have breakfast with dad and see about returning to school yet today; for sure tomorrow.
- Quiet Corners. A quiet corner works well for adults needing protected time and space away from the world, away from family members. Think: a chair in the bedroom to read; a swing or hammock in the yard to relax; a craft table or entire room; a bicycle ride on your own; or a cup of tea with one close friend. What quiet corner do you have? Or want to create?
- Ongoing curiosity and learning. For those of us (myself included) whose souls are fed by learning, protecting space and time for reading, traveling, visiting new places, and meeting new people is important. What feeds your soul? Are you protecting space to “do it”?
- What protecting space ideas can you add to this list?
Lest September 11 always carry a negative tone in our minds, here are some historical events that provide some balance. (Thanks Idaho Press for compiling an even longer list.) On this date…
- 1789: Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Protect space for learning about history.
- 1936: Boulder (now Hoover) Dam began operation under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Protect travel time to learn about the great works across our country.
- 1962: The Beatles recorded their first song with EMI. What joy are you protecting space for in your daily life?
- 1967: “The Carol Burnett Show” premiered on CBS. And as author Norman Vincent Peale says “laughter is the best medicine.” Protect time to laugh!
- And throughout time: weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries that are celebrated in happiness!
What space are you protecting? What space do you want to be protecting?
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive during our workdays. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for a deep sense of home. –Jana