After volunteering at the school library the other day (and living out my life-long fantasy of being a school librarian…), I still had 30 minutes before school was out, so I popped over to our neighborhood coffee shop across the street to drink tea and read for a bit. When I came outside with my drink, I noticed a mom from the school also sitting on the porch, hard at work. I had a pang of guilt—what am I doing here drinking $4 tea that we really can’t afford and reading my just-for-fun book while mamas like this are doing actual work-work?

Folks talk about the lazy days of summer, but this year, I’m experiencing the lazy days of fall. Well, maybe not exactly lazy, but quiet and slow. Usually fall feels like the start of something new to me—school, a new season, anticipating winter and Christmas, getting into a new groove of a new schedule. But in the spirit of pursuing rest, I’ve had a reset this year.