Right on schedule, the annual reset weekend fell into place. For as long as I can remember, Labor Day weekend has served as an essential opportunity to pause for a moment, clear my mind and regroup for the months ahead.
Sometimes it takes place through a quick trip out of town and other times it happens by hiding out at home. Either way, taking the intentional time to think, pray, prioritize and plan always refreshes my soul and prepares me for the runway toward the end of the year.
Looking ahead
Now that we are on the other side of Labor Day weekend, what do the next few months look like for you? Are you able to compartmentalize the upcoming events and activities into appropriate chunks on the schedule while also taming expectations to what is realistic this year?
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day provides the space I need to spend time reflecting on the past year and thinking through big picture items for the coming year, so I keep my Labor Day weekend reset focused on specifics for finishing the current year well.
This particular September also brings the wrap up of a year of recovery I didn’t anticipate during my 2024 Labor Day weekend reset. Whatever I determined would be the plan for the last few months of last year didn’t matter after the morning of Oct. 2 when that one misstep on the stairs sent me to emergency surgery for a trimalleolar ankle fracture and severe dislocation.
The full year of healing and regaining mobility has actually gone by quickly. I didn’t think it would as I faced the reality of what was ahead last October. I do recall two separate two-day stints where I found myself a bit low and discouraged, but overall the year has moved along at a steady pace with a long list of encouraging and positive moments.
Honest and transparent conversations with the surgeon, an incredibly talented and discerning physical therapist, a supportive family on so many levels, multiple mentors and advisers who helped me manage expectations, and the most understanding, encouraging and life-giving friends, coworkers and church communities anyone could ever dream of — they all truly made the difference.
Oh, and I’ll always be grateful for the quick response, expertise and kindness of the paramedics — such an important role when someone is in crisis — and for you, the readers who kept up with and encouraged me throughout this journey.
While I continue to work to strengthen the soft tissue around the ankle bone and will likely have a few permanent minor restrictions, I am currently celebrating the next milestone in the process — being released from the official physical therapy regimen.
Reset weekend
This year’s reset weekend added a layer of discipline related to health and wellness as well as zeroing in on what needs to be tackled on the to-do list.
Most of all, I’m learning to include a bit more flexibility to the anticipation of what lies ahead.
The concept of day by day and one step at a time (figuratively and literally!) — adjusting and adapting as needed along the way — really can flow smoothly within our calendared plans if we release our grip just a bit on the need for control.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This editorial was written by Jennifer Davis Rash, president and editor-in-chief of TAB Media Group, for her Rashional Thoughts column and will appear in the September 4 edition of The Alabama Baptist newspaper. To subscribe, click here.
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