WisdomGound sroRJES oF woMEN TRANSFIGURED Br-.

THs Goo oF MULTITASKiNGBensene. CewrrronNn CnartoN

Ironing while helping with homework. cooking while helping with homework'

Folding clothes while listening to the news while cuddling a toddler who's

unfolding the clothes.'writing while waitingfor aplane. Practicing spelling

words with a fourth grader while driving'

Women become so accustomed to doing several things at once that some

of us feel lazy if-we catch ourselves doing only

one. Weve been on duty for so Iong that wewhc would i be

don't even remember what it was like not torruithcut ail iny Jcbs? have work to do.'We're not even sure we want to

Mightn't I just drsappear? find out-who would I be without all my jobs?

Mightnt I just disaPPear?

we mustn't multitask, the psychologist on the radio warns us. Try to do

several things at once, he says, and you end up not doing any ofthem very well'

Hmm-bet anything he's always ha{ someone in the background of his life

making sure he didn't have to do more than one thing at a time'

Maybe he's right, and good for him, I say-but many women just dont have

the luxury of such single-mindedness.

Many gods and goddesses of the Hindu faith have multiple arms, an

expression of their potency in a variety of simultaneous activities. I've always

been d.rawn to them-who hasn't wished for an extra pair of hands now and

then? But |esus had just two hands, as you and I do. He was limited, as we are.

In over his head, sometimes-just like me. Desperately needing some downtime,

like me. More than once, we see him withdrawing in search of uninterrupted

quiet-and then we see people finding him, so they can interrupt him. I think I

can hear him thinkin g: Ah, well' It was nice while it lasted'

It's so good when we can grab some single-minded time. It's like really feeling

your bare toes in green grass-you're so in touch with exactly who and where

you are. But soon it's time to put your shoes back on and get back to work' It was

nice while it lasted.

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'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakd'ownis the title of a Broadway play and

a movie.

Andinthatscript,whenawomansaid'"'W'hatlneedisawife"'itwasnojoke.Backinthetimewhenmenwenttoworkandtheirwivestookcareofthe

homeandchildren,womenoftenworkedmorehoursthanmen.Todaymost

wivesalsoworkoutsidethehomeandmaybeleftwithnotimeforreflecting,praying, or dancing.

Remember,Godrested_foranentiredayofaworkingweek'Trythis:Go

intoyourbedroom,closethedoor,andsitorliedownfortwentyminutes.Let your body speak to you' God has given you a female body' whose voice is

differentfromamale's.Yourbody'sinnervoicemaybringyouamessagefrom

God. You might hear the words of a hymn:

Peace before me'

Peace behind me'

Peace under mY feet'

Peace within me'

Peace over mq

Let all around me be Peace'

If youve been running as fast as you can' set aside time to slow down'

Perhaps you will not,.get it all done,', whatever ..it,, is. Life is chaotic and over-

whelming unless you purposefully separate yourself and step into a place of

quiet, a sacred space where your soul may rest and be reassured'

.Whenyoustepoffthepathforabriefperiod,considerthatGoddoesnottalk

to us about winning a marathon, but about a meaningful journey'

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Inatimeandaplacewhencalculationandplansreign,howcanllearntolisten

forthatquietwhisperofwisdom?Tosensethebreathofourancestors?Tofeel

the leaPing of mY verY cells?

Thewoodscalltome,buttoooftenlresist,saying,..)ustonemorething,let

mefinishthisonelastthing.,,Butthatto-dolistneverends:paythebills,buy

insurance against the future, count the calories, and respond to the email' Build

a fortress against all my fears and worries' make sure the coming years will be

secure. Make sure I'm not going off the deep end' out into the wilds' alone'

ButallofCreationbeckons'AndwhenI'mdeep-downquiet'Icanfeelthe

otherstherewithme.Iwalkthroughtheleaves;Ienterthegrove;Ilieinthe

grass;thefreneticfallsaway'Weabidethere'together'andlbegintoremember'I remember we are all kin' all of us who are

" 'r ' on this tiny luminous ball' I remember that we

'.'1;r1' .r1: '' I walk thrcugh are spinning in the blackest of seas, with the

'.. .': the leaves; I enler thinnest of veils that allow us to breathe'

the grove, I lre rn the grass; All of creation beckons me' asks me to

lhe frenetic falls away' push away from the desk' to step away from the

computer screen' to open myself to the mystery'

totakeuptherhythmoflifeitselieverevolving,withoutaplan,nocalculatorin

hand. To reawaken, with arms outstretched'

The greatest challenge ofihe dgy is'

haw ta bring about s teuoluti*n ofthe heart'

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