The Calm — Mary Kessee

One of my favorite things to do is find new restaurants to dine at. Seriously, I am a fanatic. The smells, the views, the food of course, but most importantly is the atmosphere. How I feel when I enter an establishment speaks volumes about the place. The mood setting of the place, the lighting, windows, wall colors, accents and how I am greeted upon arrival make or break a place before I ever have a chance to try their food. The food is simply the icing on the cake . If I could quit my day job errrrr … should I say night job , I would travel the world and find all the hole in the wall places to eat at. I am all about the experience.
All this to say, I am currently sitting at brunch place( Egg Harbor ) , sipping my herbal tea while watching a storm brew and I feel peace. It could be because Fall is right around the corner and stirs up all the good feelings inside me or because at this point in my life; my peace has been grounded and I am at ease with life. I stop and smell the roses , I try to present rather than perfect and savor every moment.
Also, this sweet potato skillet is hittin all the major spots .. insert happy fat kid food dance. However , Back to the subject … getting to this place of peace took time . Being present over perfect wasn’t really me. I was more hustle and grind till I die and I’ll sleep when I’m dead . I was alive and well, yes but not so much on the inside and I say well loosely. I was eating like crap , not sleeping , definitely not resting and my priorities were out of whack. I was missing out on time with people I loved; neglecting is a better word, missing out on adventures and fun and watching time pass me by. I’ll get to all that one day is what I kept telling myself. Eyes on the prize and a one track mind. The ambition and grind got me through college, but before I even made to my career I was already burnt out.
Thankfully God sent me what I needed most at the time , a reason to stop and that He did . It took having little ones to get me to reprioritize my entire life and I am thankful for It. It’s made me who I am today. I make time now and I take time to do and be with the things and people I love . Love, good food, and hot tea … perfect day.