Sunday

For the past 16 years (minus two years in the middle), my weekends started on Thursday night. My “Friday night” was on Thursday. My “Saturday night” was on Friday. Which means, my “Sunday night” was on Saturday. I couldn’t stay up too late on Saturday nights because I had to be up early for church on Sunday. (Well, I could and did in those early years, but it didn’t always turn out very well!)

Maybe 2-3 Sundays a year I wouldn’t go to church – maybe.

Yesterday something new began. First of all, Saturday night I stayed up until 1 am. (It was riveting…Brad and I watched the last few episodes of House of Cards season 5 – those people are insane!). Because of the late night, I didn’t get up until 9 am yesterday – yay for sleeping in! However, I immediately felt like I needed to do something. I got out my computer to write but I could tell it was going to be forced. Then I realized something…

I don’t have to do anything.

I don’t have to produce or create or complete or accomplish anything.

It was an odd feeling. I felt a little out of place. I felt like I was on vacation. Surely things will be back to normal next Sunday. (And, it kind of will – I’m going on one last mission trip and we leave next Sunday morning, so I will be at church early then.) But, when July 2 rolls around, Sundays will officially be part of my weekend from then on out. No more working on Sundays for me.

I’m excited for this new journey – one that includes weekends, the same weekends as most people. However, this also means I’ll be working Monday – Friday, 8 – 5. I’m not sure when the last time was I did that on a regular basis. That is going to be different, but good.

My career life began 16 years ago. Most of my career involved working Sunday – Thursday with flexible daily schedules. Although I dressed up a bit on Sundays, for most of my career I’ve worn whatever I want – from jeans and a t-shirt to skirts and a blouse – always Chacos in the summer. Now I’m shopping for business casual clothes, trying to figure out what kind of shoes are appropriate to wear that will also be comfortable and thinking about rush hour traffic. How is it that I’m almost 38 and just now starting to feel like maybe I’ve reached adulthood? How is it that I’m almost 38 and at times still feel like a little kid playing dress up?

Soon there will be no more early morning writing during the week. Soon there will be a new traffic pattern to figure out. And, soon there will be peaceful Sunday mornings that I can call mine for the first time in 16 years.

peace.