Almost every Sunday since mid-May 2020 with a few exceptions, I have been taking my own personal Sabbath, where I tune out of the news and social media and turn off my ringer and all notifications on my phone. Throughout the day and/or sometimes the next day, I share what I am reading, listening to, or watching during my Sabbath.
Tomorrow will be a much-needed news and social media break for both my wife Kim and me, as on Tuesday, we said goodbye to Seamus, our cat of the last 15 years. Without going into all the details, suffice to say that it was his time and it was good that we both were there with him for his last breath.
And with her being off this weekend, my wife is joining me tomorrow for my Sabbath. Tonight we’re watching No Time to Die, the last James Bond with Daniel Craig. In the morning, we plan on having a breakfast with Belgian waffles with blueberry compote and sausage (vegan) and we’ll listen to a few podcasts together. In the afternoon, we’ll meditate, journal, read, and listen to music.
I found a playlist from the NPR podcast Life Kit called “A Mental Health Reset” that we might dip into:
As for reading, my wife said she is continuing a reread of one of our favorite books, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, because that’s understandably all she can focus on and that she might look through some cookbooks for meal and recipe ideas.
Me? I’m still reading The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus, a new interpretation by Sharon Lebell, which I selected as my first book of the year. I also have been reading Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross.
Later in the day, while my wife sleeps as she goes to work for a midnight shift Sunday night/Monday morning, I plan on watching The French Dispatch. We started watching it, and while I was enjoying it, she wasn’t. I’ll let you know what I thought of the whole thing next week.
So, that’s what (my wife and) I have planned for tomorrow for My Own Personal Sabbath. What do you have planned for tomorrow? Reading, watching TV, listening to music, spending time with family? Let me know in the comments.
Still an unfinished person... 
So very sorry about Seamus! I know that ache very well 😦
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Thank you, Vicki.
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I’m sorry to see that you had to say goodbye to Seamus 😦 Your Sabbath sounds restorative and wonderful. Enjoy!
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Thanks, Stacy. Today was a good day.
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I’m so sorry about Seamus. That is very difficult.
Enjoy your time with your wife. I know having her home for the weekend is a rare treat.
I’ve had a very stressful weekend. I must take time to rest and meditate.
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I hope you are finding the time to rest and meditate today or did.
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So sorry about Seamus. Even when we know it’s their time, it’s still so hard to let them go. Your weekend sounds like the perfect kind after this week.
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It was hard, being the first time Kim and I had to be with a pet put to sleep. But it was good we were there, to be able to be with him in his last moments.
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Your Sunday sounds fabulous, both restorative and enriching. I worked out this morning and will spend the day with my daughter as she flies back to college tomorrow.
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It was a good day. Hopefully you had a good day with your daughter.
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So, so, so sorry about Seamus. It’s never easy to say goodbye.
I finally read Owen Meany for the first time ever and it was as great as everyone says it is.
Oooo where can I watch French Dispatch? I’ve been waiting for that one.
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I got the DVD at our library.
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I always forget to check the library and Hoopla for movies!
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I am so sorry about your Seamus. 😦 It is always so hard to say goodbye.
We watched The French Dispatch last weekend and it was the same here – my husband liked it more than I did, although I did like it. I loved the look of it though, quite a bit.
And A Prayer for Owen Meany is in my top ten favorite books of all time. My uncle gave me his copy when I was in high school and I used to reread it every year until about 6 years ago. I love John Irving but that one is truly my favorite. Did you see that horrible movie based on it, Simon Birch? I was so disappointed. I felt like they skimmed the story, left out so much, and then completely changed things. I guess though it would be hard to replicate – oo unless someone does a tv series, like HBO maybe.
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My wife and I purposefully never watched Simon Birch because we knew it would be awful from the trailer and the synopsis, even now it brings out a strong reaction in my wife if I mention it. I mentioned it this morning to her and she said, “I’ll never watch that abortion of a movie!” The book, though, is the best.
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