Dear Eddie—I’ve been thinking how we have relearned the practice of resting together. I get fried; we get fried. We need physical and emotional rest. I am so glad we can create a welcome island of peace for both of us.

You give me the gift of permission to rest. I don’t rest easily. There is always another load of laundry to fold, another meal or meeting to plan, another key to find. But you give me permission to stop; you remind me to give myself permission to rest with you. From our couple beginning, we found peace in physical contact; we remember our couches. We brought the reposo back from Italy. If a whole culture can rest in the afternoon, we can, too. Closing eyes snuggled with you in the hammock even for a short while is precious. When the alarm startles us awake to get the kids from the school bus, I am refreshed. I now find myself heading home from errands, making sure I am in time for reposo.

You give me the gift of preparation for rest. You keep in touch with me through frequent check-in conversations. We learned the importance of those conversations years ago. Thankfully, retirement provides more opportunities for them. We deal with the logistics of grandparenthood and the inevitable pinches in life before they ambush us when we don’t expect them. When we make a chance to rest with naps or play, my overactive mind is better prepared to actually rest.

I hope we get to enjoy resting together for a long while yet.

Love, Sylvia