House front of my childhood home
Growing up an only child can often unleash a myriad of feelings. In me, the negative ones were fear, loneliness, and often being the victim of bullying. My late mother used to help combat this by setting up a restful situation which I now call “rebooting my life”.
I was still in grade school, around eight years old. On sunny summer mornings when no one was around to play with, Mom would set up the card table, a chair, my big box of crayons, my colouring books and me outside on the front veranda. I could colour to my heart’s content. But more so, I got the chance to look around at the green grass which my Dad (sometimes with my help) mowed with the push mower, at the shrubs and roses and at the quiet neighbourhood. Occasionally I heard a bird chirp. Seldom would a car whiz by on the street which I faced and never would a wasp dare to come near me – at least not that I remember. But once in a while someone, maybe a neighbour I knew or didn’t know, would walk by on the street below. We would give each other the friendly eye and smile.
Today I do my own version of Mom’s rebooting my life. When things get overly problematic and/or busy (which they have this summer) I go out into my garden. I may dig in and remove weeds, pick berries or collect vegetables, but often I sit outside to eat my meals at the patio table in the backyard. Sometimes I sit in the shade of my neighbour’s overhanging black walnut tree and look out at the garden or read. Sometime I take photos of my garden. And yes, I do sometimes sit out front on my veranda, but I don’t colour. The recent trend (probably now passe anyway) of adults colouring in adult colouring books never caught on with me. Could be because I am a professional writer and amateur photographer. You really wouldn’t want me drawing anyway. I can’t even draw a straight line – with a ruler.
View of today’s backyard garden from patio
Dusk view from my current front veranda
However, looking back at my childhood (I know – my age is showing), I realize Mom had cottoned onto a good idea. We all need to reboot from all the stuff in our lives.
Only Child’s home and garden for her health circa 2011
Do you reboot? If you reboot, how do you reboot?
Cheers.
Sharon
Only Child Writes
Only Child Writes Blog 
I have what i call “pj days” when, even though I am not sick, I act like I am. I eat soup and crackers, drink lots of ginger tea with honey and watch dumb t.v. or read. I turn off the phone and the computer and I do not get dressed or attend to anything but playing sick. It is very important for me to do this once in a while or I can really get sick. I’ve had cancerand a bout of depression that put me in the hospital so I don’t mess about anymore. My life is nuts right now and a close relative has had some bad news that has gotten me feeling blue. Today should have been a pj day. Maybe tomorrow…
I find this an interesting way to reboot because if fits in with you being sick so and in the hospital so much in the past. It connects with you so that is probably why it works. Take your soup/sick day tomorrow. I can learn from this too – if nothing else but to take a whole day off to spend in the garden. Thanks for sharing.