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Rachel Balducci

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Rebecca Teti is married to Dennis and has four children (3 boys, 1 girl) who -- like yours no doubt -- are pious and kind, gorgeous, and can spin flax into gold. A Washington, DC, native, she converted to Catholicism while an undergrad at the U. Dallas, where she double-majored in …
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Previous Is Cheerleading a Sport? Home We're Listening Next

Feed Your Soul

all things lovely

Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, October 04, 2011 3:05 PM

Yesterday I met my sister-in-law at a park halfway between our homes. From our opposite ends of the state, we each drove toward each other for about 90 minutes and then shared lunch and the joy of chasing our preschool children around a beautiful green-space.

On the drive home, instead of taking the interstate, I decided to find my way back using two-lane highways. It was bliss.

The weather was window-down perfect and my two little ones fell asleep right away. It was a gorgeous drive, beautiful farmlands and fields—and me soaking up every minute of this beauty.

I realized, as I pulled into my driveway, that I could enjoy a drive like that at least once a week. I never even turned on the radio, opting to sing a bit and pray and then just think, think, think. This is what settles me, I now know about myself, this time to just be.

I love being with my family and spending time with friends. I love grabbing lunch with my husband (at least once a week). But in the midst of all those wonderful interactions, I have to find a little time alone, to recalibrate and catch my breath. It doesn’t always have to be a long drive, even twenty minutes of uninterrupted thinking does the trick. But it’s important, and it’s what keeps me going. It’s the chance to drink in the beauty of creation or the beauty of quiet or even the beauty of an organized To Do list (not always my first choice for feeding my soul but sometimes it’s what I have to settle for!).

What about you? What little moments of your day do you find help you the most?

p.s. this picture is my boy Henry on our family vacation this summer. We rented this lodge for my entire family and it was lovely (and wild and crazy—but mostly lovely).

Comments
9
Filed under beauty, family, feeding, love, moments, soul

Comments

Page 1 of 1 pages

 
Posted by Jacqueline on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 4:09 PM (EDT):

Ever heard of the book, “My Monastary is a Minivan”?  (It’s great, by Denise Roy from Loyola Press) - I just love the title.  I completely identify with it - some of my holiest time is in my van driving from kid thing to kid thing.  Whether I am praying the rosary, singing the chaplet along with my cd, or listening to catholic radio - sometimes it’s my best opportunity for a holy moment.  And yes, it can be sheer bliss…  Thanks for sharing that, Rachel.

 
Posted by kristi on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 5:47 PM (EDT):

That sounds like a perfect day:)

 
Posted by Lina MGM on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 8:59 PM (EDT):

reminds me of that country song “makes me wanna take the backroads” - something about those two lane highways is indeed relaxing smile

 
Posted by Michelle Reitemeyer on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 7:36 PM (EDT):

I think that Tim McGraw song is on every hour on the hour around here…put some gravel in my travel…it’s the time of year for windows-down driving.

 
Posted by Claire on Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 11:59 PM (EDT):

That lodge and the view are gorgeous!

 
Posted by Dee F on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 3:41 PM (EDT):

I loved this post… when we travel we LOVE getting off the interstates and going on the back roads… the scenery is usually so pristine and pastoral and we find interesting places to stop. Even though I now live out west, when I’m back in Pennsylvania where I grew up I love to be out driving on the country roads.

 
Posted by Sam on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 5:50 PM (EDT):

would love to know where you went on vacation…always looking for fun and different places to rent for vacation…+JMJ+

 
Posted by fairlady68 on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2011 6:34 PM (EDT):

I hope you have a chance to repeat experiences of sheer being like these.  Why is it so hard for us, once we “discover” that we can spend our time so wonderfully, to keep on making space for recharging activities like these in our lives?  It’s just so easy to get bogged down in what we think we “should” be doing instead.  And we wonder why our lives seem so overloaded and so gray…

 
Posted by Lady.Rosary on Thursday, Oct 6, 2011 10:51 AM (EDT):

It’s so important to spend a quiet time for yourself whether you’re in the bathtub, your room, driving in your car or just walking in the park. My little moments come when my precious girl falls asleep at night and I get to just stare at the beauty in front of me.


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Previous Is Cheerleading a Sport? Home We're Listening Next