Time: slow, steady, rich, lasting

This weekend has felt absolutely indulgent. All due to time, or rather, our attitudes about time.

In reality, our schedule has been relatively consistent to other weekends. The change has come in our activities and our decision to ignore the clock.

• My husband and I had precious conversations much after our usual bedtime.
• We frolicked at Lake Michigan for as long as we liked. We left our phones in the car and took time as it came and went, just like the waves.
• And I husband and I each had solo time in the water to swim, bob, flow, and watch our happy kids from a distance- enjoying the sand, the sun, the water, and each other.
• We stopped worrying about every thing being even and focused on it being fair. Each child had time with each parent in the water until they, and we, were satisfied. There wasn’t a clock to track equal minutes yet we all survived.

So, of course, I am thinking of how this relates to how dance has conditioned me to approach time.

• Time is to be played with to make movement more compelling.
• Time is to be considered in making my body stronger, more efficient, more expressive.
• Time “off” hasn’t really been encouraged. In fact, the answer to most any dance problem has been dance more. Although, that is not exclusive to dance-isn’t this basically how Americans define “professionalism”?

I realized yesterday that we, as a family, need to schedule breaks to “train” our children to take time for rest when they are adults. To know it is ok to relax. It is necessary and it is good. To be able to recognize they need it and should give themselves permission to take it.

When I shared this thought with my friend she said, “Beach your children well.” I love that.

Rest allows for isolation of thought and applied focus.

When we stop moving and thinking simultaneously we can allow the connection of our minds and bodies to continue the conversation in perhaps a renewing way. It works the other way, too. Sometimes we just need to move and enjoy where we are rather than constantly striving for better.

This dedication to time makes me think of artists like Merce- taking time to investigate the potential for movement, for each part of the body. Allowing time for trial, deciding, crafting, creating.

What a concept.