(Written in December 2019, this winter reflection preceded the covid-19 awareness and impact in the US by several months.)
Pause? A look at the “Power of Paws” might be more interesting. There are studies that examine the association between pet ownership and health. However, that is not the focus of this article – unless, part of the power of paws is in that they make us pause.
For as vital (essential, critically important, alive) as it is, the idea of pausing is often dismissed. We are all way too busy to pause or take a break! Our frenetic lifestyles have us convinced that any cessation, hesitation, or interruption in what we are doing will have disastrous consequences. At best, it will just add to our “to do” list. Everyone wants us to be more productive. The list of demands on our time just grows and grows… and grows. Our cellphones have us available 24/7. Social media provides a constant pull on and ready distraction for our attention. The incessant bombardment of news bites and sensationalist tweets can leave us feeling overwhelmed or lacking in time and resources to connect with what’s important in life. We can’t possibly stop for even a moment!
But, wait. Let’s pause to consider…. In the natural world, seasons change. Seasons pause from one set of conditions to another, and then back again. All of life has cycles and rhythms: expansion/ contraction; wakefulness/ sleep; activity/ rest; go/ stop; fight or flight/ rest and repair; and so on. Lub, dub (pause), lub dub (pause), lub dub (pause). Yes, there are pauses between our heart beats. Cadence is impossible without the built in rests and pauses. Pauses are necessary for life, for thought, for communication, for creativity, and even for productivity.
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I greatly respect the necessity and wisdom of pause. My early years of medical training came before laws that limit how long a physician can be up and care for patients. I experienced firsthand the toll that neglecting sleep can take on one’s health and well-being. Even so, I am still occasionally tempted to skimp on sleep. But I know better. Over time, I have built pause into my day in the form of breath awareness, prayer, meditation, journaling, movement, or other means of simple focused presence. I appreciate that our calendars reflect holidays. Although not strict about it, I do intentionally observe the day of rest. I deliberately release my attention from the activities and usual demands of the week and shift my focus to those things that are deeply connecting and revive my spirit.
Pause is the difference between reaction and response. A reflex causes a reaction before the stimulus reaches consciousness. Pause between a stimulus and response allows response-ability, the possibility of a deliberate engagement with life and its choices.
May we pause to savor the richness of this season and to be present to all those relationships that make life meaningful.