Book inspiration
I decided to stretch the good times right up until the very last day. This included seeing some friends I hadn’t seen in a while and catching up with their lives. One of these women was telling me that her favourite book, the one she has read countless times is A Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I have that book. Reading it in my 30s helped me tremendously. I was going though a lot of hard things: my mom was dying, I had 3 young kids, money was tight. Reading that book lifted my spirts.
So, I went through my bookshelf and found the book. As I started to re-read, I remembered why I loved this book. It put into words what I was feeling. It made me feel like my thoughts were not out of the ordinary. At that time in my life, I was craving some solitude. Between taking care of three rambunctious kids, working, and trying to help my mom navigate the healthcare system, there was no time for me. Ever. And I started to feel resentful. Reading the book made me realize how important it was to carve out time for myself, even if it was a few minutes each day.
A soul date
As I started to re-read the book, an idea came to me. Why not plan a special “me” day? And that’s just what I did. I decided to have a date with myself before I went back to work. I’d received an invitation from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. They had a special members only preview of the new Chagall exhibit. Perfect! I love going to the museum and even more so when I can go at my own pace. I decided to make a day of it. I’d take the train into town. I didn’t want to battle Montreal traffic. As much as I love this city, the traffic and construction are out of control! There are road closures, detours and potholes everywhere you turn. I didn’t want to deal with these nasty issues, so the train was the perfect alternative.
I took the book with me so I could read on the train. Instead, I spent the ride looking out the window and enjoying the view. This is something new for me: just enjoying the view! I don’t need to be busy every waking hour. This is something I need to remember this in the days ahead. I don’t need to react to everything. The walk up to the museum was great. Montreal really is a beautiful city. I didn’t even want to take pictures. I decided to just enjoy the moment.
Museum time
The Chagall exhibit was stunning. Not only a visual feast, but also an auditory one. They had music playing throughout the exhibit. There’s something so soothing about art. It just takes me away to a different place. I don’t know enough about art to critique it. All I know is that I feel so good when I visit a museum or gallery. I took my time as I strolled through the displays. Chagall was a multi-talented artist. Not only did he paint, but he also created sculptures and even did costumes for some famous ballets.
After meandering through the exhibit, I decided to have lunch in the museum restaurant. This is where I encountered some bizarre attitudes about solo diners. I asked for a table for one and was told that solo diners would be seated at the bar. I nicely asked why that was and the hostess attempted some feeble explanation about needing tables for groups of two or more. “That’s not fair to solo diners,” I pointed out. At this point, she offered to seat me at a table. Yes, please! The waiter was really sweet and offered me a copy of the museum magazine. It was so much fun to sit there and enjoy a nice meal.
After lunch, I wandered through the new Peace pavilion. What a stunning display. It’s mostly modern stuff. They had some of the big names in modern art: Monet, Picasso, Dali, Rodin, Warhol. Some beautiful pieces. The afternoon ended with a stroll back to the train station and a relaxing ride home. I’m so glad I took a day to myself. It’s something that I intend to do again. It does me a lot of good to spend time alone. It allows me to do things on my own timetable and to reset, in a way.
Back to reality
So, now it’s back to the grind. I can’t say I’m looking forward to not having my days to myself. To doing what I need to do, when I choose to do it. This time off has given me a newfound appreciation for quiet times. I read so many books. I don’t remember the last time I read this much. I’d forgotten how much I love to read.
I’m also going to miss my sweet little pup. I love hanging out with her and walking her. But, I’m so happy I had this time off. It really did me a lot of good. And it’s shown me that I will not be bored in retirement. Au contraire. I had fun and was never bored. I also learned new things and can’t wait to do it again.
