To be or not to be…

Is not the question today, but rather “to do, or not to do”.

I grew up in a religion – Seventh-Day-Adventists – where the “Sabbath” was held in esteem: a day dedicated only to worshiping, a day where one was to not engage in any of the normal activities of the working week. Not as strict as some where one shouldn’t even touch a light switch, the hospitals still functioned, albeit with as little personnel as possible and no planned testing, surgeries, etc. As a child and young adult this meant that we were "legally" free from household tasks, free from school homework. For me personally it meant that although I wasn’t supposed to read novels or textbooks, I could read bible stories or pursue the cross-checking of any phrase considered to be of “spiritual” orientation – in short to continue reading. Or we could go hiking, or play card games, of course only those with birds, flowers or biblical characters, but what’s the difference to a child? 

The idea that we could ignore with a clear conscience anything even remotely connected to our daily obligations was freeing and defininetly more important in our minds than the thought that we were "forbidden" from doing something.

I have often in adulthood wished that I could get back that feeling of keeping a day apart from the day-to-day tasks – without success.

Everyone once in awhile I try and let a day go – to not look at my “to do” list, just enjoy a book, a concert, a movie. And even less frequently I actually manage. Will today be such a day, or will I accomplish even more for having given myself permission not to “do” anything?