Every Seven Years

The number seven is surrounded by myths - I've heard that every seven years, we replace all the cells in our bodies, and become entirely new people.  In the Bible, the seventh year was the "shabbat" or "ceasing" for the Jewish people, as God decreed:

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: ²Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. ³For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; ⁴but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.

In May, it will be seven years since I graduated from university.  Since then, I bought a house, worked 5 jobs simultaneously, founded a concert series, a non-profit, an arts festival and assisted with more volunteer projects than I can count (or remember!!).  I have loved them all, but I feel tired in my bones.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the wisdom of Earth's self-sustaining systems.  When something gets out of whack, the Earth's feedback loops put it back into balance. Without human intervention, living things have everything they need, and are connected in a web that doesn't 'waste' anything.  This is beautiful, and what could be a more fitting model for our own lives?

Hence, in May I will be on Sabbatical from volunteer projects - one year to rest, let myself recharge, not expect anything other than what grows without cultivation.  I am not quitting, I'm invested in community for the long haul.  However, I would like to arrive at the finish line knowing that I took the time I needed to do my best work.