I need a nap. One of the hardest things with this call is giving myself permission to rest. To take time off. To give myself a break. With so much hurt, pain and need calling me every day I struggle to realize that I CANNOT take care of everything. That no matter how hard I work the job is never done. Saying no to people who ask for help is hard, even when I am out of resources.

The truth of the matter is I must step away from time to time. I cannot be at my best to help people if I allow myself to burnout. But the truth is sometimes it is easier to work than it is to walk away. I want to help others. And the need is so great. I tried to take yesterday and i did sort of. I did a couple of errands for the center, but I was out of the office, and I went into the Black hills for a couple of hours. I was blessed to see herds of deer, eagles in flight and some beautiful scenery. But my phone rang multiple times and I had to deal with a number of issues.

Today I stepped away for a few hours. I took my wife, and we went to a coffee house in the town of Chadron. I told my staff I would be in around 1. And I only received 1 phone call from my staff. We sat and enjoyed a hot beverage and a tasty treat. We relaxed and enjoyed a fire and a cat. I did not answer my phone and we looked at maps and explored where we would go next. We took the time to just be and took the scenic route home.

I encourage you to unplug sometime. To sit back and just be.