Rebecca Lorens

Yes, it’s December. The madness has started.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the hype this time of year and lately I’ve been rushing around like a mad chicken with its head cut off. With kids’ rehearsals for end of year performances, Christmas shopping, end of year prize giving’s, the odd Santa parade or two to entertain the children, supporting my local roller derby team with their Breast Cancer fundraiser, it seems like every week-end for me has been more hectic than my week days.

Today—yes, it’s Sunday—I found myself waking up at the normal week-day time of 6.30am, racing my daughter to the only shower we have in our tiny house to find she beat me to it again. So, I helped my husband prepare breakfast for my other two daughters while I waited…and waited…and waited for the bathroom. Yes, she is a teen-ager. All the while stressing that we must be leaving in thirty minutes to get her to town for her drama rehearsal. Thankfully she’s helping with costumes for this production, so I don’t have to help her with her make-up and hair.

Finally, she emerges and the stress level drops momentarily. Until I realise I need to run an errand before I head over to town with only 15min left until departure.

We finally make it and I drop her off on time. No speeding required as I was followed by a police car. I headed to the local mall to find it doesn’t open for another hour. What am I going to do? Aha. The coffee shop is at least open.  A LARGE cappuccino is required I feel.  There’s a pop-up market across the road from the coffee shop so I take myself over to check out the stalls and get some ideas for Christmas gifts.  That killed 30 mins. 30 mins to go. Finger tapping my coffee cup as I look around for inspiration.

I find myself in a very rare moment of being by myself, with nothing to do, and nowhere to be. Nearby is a bench seat by a rose garden. I take a seat and slowly savour my cappuccino. There must be some tourists in town as several people are stopping to take photos of the local park ground known as ‘The Square.’ I know, original eh. Now, as a born and bred local it doesn’t seem that spectacular to me.  I guess I’ve been around too long. So, I take a moment to look around, try and see what the tourists see. And you know what? I do live in a pretty amazing place.

Sometimes it pays to just stop.  Take a coffee break in your local park. It’s good for you. Not only for your blood pressure, but for your soul. I feel lighter. Able to handle the world and all its challenges it will present to me over the coming weeks. It could be just the great coffee I had, but I’d like to think the cheery and appreciative atmosphere I found myself in had more to do with it.