Bore-dom Noun “the state of being bored”
Recently, I found myself uttering the words I never thought I had the capacity to utter… “I am bored and need something to do!” It occurred to me that transitioning into retirement, while also grieving the loss of the man of my dreams, has positioned me in this uncomfortable spot.
Being an educator for nearly 30 years, led me to live life on full throttle. Education is a fast paced career fueled by the passion educators have for children. There’s rarely time to go to the restroom, much less eat. Between this pace and being Todd’s full time caregiver, I have now found myself sucked into this vacuum of grief, only to find my way out when I remember these things Todd reminded us of during his ‘Last Supper’ with our family. (Hear more tidbits of wisdom by clicking on the ‘Last Supper’ hyperlink.) He gently discipled us with such grace and compassion… Always reminding us to be grateful, spend time with the Lord each day, and to nurture our relationships with one another through remembering to love ourselves well.
As I continue to mourn the loss of the patriarch of our family, I am reminded of our Abba Father’s faithfulness and compassion He has for his children. It’s no coincidence that my neighbor dropped the Fall 2024 issue of the Magnolia Journal on my doorstep this week. As I’ve been coming out of the vacuum of grief, I’m also being challenged to embrace ‘boredom.’ These words on page 18 of the Magnolia Journal really spoke to my heart:
A CASE FOR BOREDOM
BOREDOM IS OFTEN VIEWED IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT,
BUT WHAT IF IT HAS ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN OUR
INDEX OF HUMAN EMOTIONS? WHAT HAPPENS IF
WE CHOOSE TO EMBRACE BOREDOM IN HOPES OF
THE PLACES IT MIGHT LEAD US?
-by Billy Jack Brawner
Fall 2024
So I am embracing boredom in hopes that I will learn how to “settle into the discomfort of being still.” As Todd so wisely said, it is in the quiet places… the time we spend with the Lord…that we are reminded of who we are… Children of God. It’s also in this space that we embrace the truth that we are loved and of great value… not because of what we do, but because of who we are. I am anchored in hope and look forward to seeing the places boredom will lead me.