A Sabbatical
I have been on sabbatical. When my wife took a sabbatical from her position I found that I, too, took time off from some of my regular activities to pay attention to others. A sabbatical is a time away. It is a break from what you are normally doing, typically related to one’s profession. In the academic world college professors will get a sabbatical leave for research and study. Clergy can be granted a sabbatical. It is for research and study; some mandate that there will be definite rest and refreshment, not simply the change of venue, or activity. It is primarily from Jewish scripture that we get the meaning of Sabbath as a time of rest. It is a time not to be directed certainly toward one’s regular work or professional activity. By implication it may mean to even step back from a regular routine or pattern of activity. I did some things on my mini sabbatical that I normally would not have done. I read more books. I realized I have a wide variety of interests. I took time to visit old friends, one in Colorado and one in New Jersey. I took advantage of some free time, when my wife was traveling on her own to visit our granddaughter and have extended time with other family I would not normally have been able to spend time with. My mini sabbatical was not a true sabbatical. I was able to weave my sabbatical moments in and through my regular work activities. So, I felt a little more refreshed, with a broader perspective, as I worked with the clients I see, sat with the supervisees and staff colleagues I work with, more hopeful and challenged as I worked with committees on administrative matters related to our agency and its work in these increasingly difficult times. I write these thoughts to share with you the reader that I think you too, if you have not already, should think of taking a sabbatical. What can you do to give yourself a rest from the normal, the regular, the routine? For one family I know their sabbatical, which I think they do often, was a picnic in their family room (it was raining), followed by a game night. For another it was hitting one of the metro parks for a run. Another found sitting listening to this person’s favorite music just the right touch. Another found moving into a new house was a sabbatical because the satisfaction of working on a project and creating one’s own space was refreshing. We know that the recession will be with us for some time. We know that the stress of this time is wearing us down. We know further that there are not simple solutions for coping. We know that what works for one moment may fail at another. The idea and the experience of a sabbatical, in its deepest meaning, makes sense not only for people of faith but for anyone who needs to step back, step away, take a break. Today is the last Sunday afternoon of my sabbatical. My wife returns soon and we will move forward, back together, but both changed, and I think, enriched from the sabbaticals, the time we were separate and the time we were together. Find a way to offer yourself, and accept on behalf of yourself, a sabbatical. The amount of refreshment and restoration to be derived from the experience can give you just the hope you need to take the next step forward. Dr. Paul Melrose is Executive Director of the Samaritan Counseling Center of SE Michigan. He can be reached atwww.paulmelrose.com or www.