A Little R&R Never Hurt Nobody - brought to you by the Kings Tide

This past weekend, if you lived in Charleston, you were hyper aware of the tides and the subsequent flooding that occurred. We hit three top-15 tides of all time in three consecutive days – which is pretty crazy and haunting all at the same time. People were out on paddleboards and splashing around in what was pretty much sewage water. The wild King Tide in combination with pretty constant rain and high-40 temperatures kept most people in Charleston and the Lowcountry inside and under blankets. Where I was, the driveway was flooded pretty far up and near the house with a street full of water on other side, so there was not anywhere to go. With a car parked on the street, I was quite literally trapped. No chance of getting out. Nowhere to be. No agenda. Nada. At first it was a little annoying and got me to thinking, when the last time I was trapped or stuck and unable to go. Really speaks to my privilege with that one, huh? I didn’t really like it at first, but it did get me to thinking about a second question….When was the last time I truly rested? Like didn’t worry about anything or think about what I had to do next. Really sit and rest. I know people will automatically think back to Covid quarantining and shutting down, but I think that with circumstances, there was never true rest and relaxation. This was the feeling of giving up on plans for the day and just knowing you have nothing to do.

Alright, back to the weekend…it was not easy at first I will not lie. I felt myself getting a little restless. I wanted to go out and do something yet I simply….couldn’t. After a little while, my leg stopped shaking. I stopped checking the flooding in the driveway every five minutes. And I just sat back and enjoyed the downtime. It was wonderful and honestly rejuvenating. In a world where everyone is always looking at the to do list and looking forward to what’s coming down the road. Where everyone is busy, busy all the time and looking at their phone 24/7 and doing is put at such a priority over not. It was nice to sit and quite literally, not be able to do anything. My hand was forced. I wanted to play but was dealt a 2-7 off suit and had to fold. Shoot I didn’t even have my computer to get any work done.

It was almost like God and the universe saw my busyness and anxiety to always try to be getting ahead and forced me to slow down. To take a deep breath and rest. It had been a long while I will say and afterwards, it was much appreciated. I felt rejuvenated. I felt more ready to come into work on Monday than I have in a long time. I felt happier waking up early and getting the routine going than I have in weeks. It was almost like God told all of us in Charleston to take a day. To sit and recharge and take a nap and watch some great college football games and turn our brains off for at least a few hours. Now, should this be a common thing? Depends on who you are and what you need. But I’ll tell you what, I highly recommend it if it’s been a minute.

Turn your phone to Do Not Disturb, make a great breakfast, and take a day. You deserve it! And Lordy will it get you feeling better once you need to get the legs moving, the brain firing on all cylinders, and things must get done. Because the world won’t stop and you will be busy. But having that time for you can sure do a lot for you and your mentals. If you’re skeptical or simply don’t feel like you have the time, carve out a few hours of nothing. A little can go a long ways and thanks to the Kings Tide for giving me no other option and seeing the light.