Its Boxing Day. Zac will spend it at the MCG, Heidi will continue her preparation for an adventure in Thailand. Maria, Rachel, Johanna and I will be throwing our gear in the yurt. Our urban duties done for the year, its time to switch off, pack the leather shoes and collared shirts into the wardrobe and close the door. The coast beckons, this time Merimbula on the far south coast of New South Wales, a lazy 9-10 hours drive for our rig.
Two of Rachel's friends; Jess (who was with us for a bit last summer) and Tyler will make the trip with us. After New Years in Melbourne Zac and Heidi will train and bus across and we'll have a week all together before Heidi leaves on her first OS trip.
Under the Christmas tree for me, was a new live album from the Waifs. Our old favourite and iconic yurting song 'Take it in' played in my head-phoned ears this morning while I finished off some ironing (those shirts to be stored) before everyone else rose. The normal meaning I've associated with the song has been in relation to good times. I thought of it differently this morning.
This Christmas had a different feel. The day was deeply enjoyable on many levels. It also had an under current of sadness. Heidi's pain in Glenn's absence was always there. She laughed and celebrated with us on the deck, and lay still and sober in her room in between.
As the lyrics go:
"Take it in, now is the time that will not come again."
Everyday, whatever the circumstances and emotion, "will not come again". Everyday, we are invited to live deeply, to enter into the opportunities to love and experience fullness of life. Not every day is one of unbridled joy and 'blessedness', the feelings I have previously associated with the Waifs tune.
It is timely to remind myself of our yurting mantra as we leave:
"Don't rush.
Don't complain.
What happens happens."
There is so much to 'take in'.