I’m enjoying my Facebook experience.  Many of you have found my Emilie Richards page and signed on as “fans,” a word Facebook coined but one that always makes me feel like a wannabe rock star.  I prefer “readers.”  It’s easy to interact on the page, and I like finding out more about you and what you think.

Today I confessed to a recent “addiction” to Wheel of Fortune and asked my readers what TV shows they watch that no one would expect them to.  The answers were wonderful.  Who knew Lawrence Welk reruns were still on the air?  Reality shows were no surprise, the Food Network took a bow, and some wonderful older sit coms and dramas were mentioned.  I applauded when I found there’s another Murder She Wrote fan on my page.  Someday I’ll have to do an entire blog about what I’ve learned from Jessica Fletcher.

Familiar shows are a source of comfort for me.  I love challenging television, too, innovative and edgy shows that make me think.  But when I’m tired, watching something I can simply sink into is pure joy.  Comfort is key.

Books can be comfort reads, as well.  I rarely re-read a novel, but I have authors whose books I always read, just for the sheer comfort they give me.  They aren’t difficult books, and they aren’t demanding intellectually.  Nothing is expected except going along for the ride.  I know I will be entertained, that when I’m done I’ll feel satisfied, nourished, rejuvenated.  There are many, many worse ways to spend my time.

Then there’s food.  Homemade bread.  Chocolate.  Grilled cheese sandwiches.  Tomato or chicken noodle soup.  Pierogies.  The list goes on, food that comforts me and makes the rest of my day more enjoyable.  Sometimes my choices are actually good for me, sometimes they aren’t, but always the choice brings a warm sense of satisfaction that’s worth the occasional overdose of calories or fat grams.

I’ve never been sure why the things that comfort us most are things we’re a little embarrassed to admit.  Maybe it’s because we’re all working longer and harder these days to keep jobs and make ends meet.  We’re constantly told we need to do our best, to shine, to reach for the stars.

I think that sometimes, just sometimes, we really need to reach for the television remote.  We need to turn on those old sit coms that make us laugh, then hunker down on the sofa with popcorn and cocoa.  Or we need to pull out a novel that won’t demand anything except our attention and appreciation, then fall asleep with our finger marking a page.

Me, I plan to keep watching Wheel of Fortune every night.  I’ve yet to figure out why I’m enjoying it so much.  But that’s because I haven’t tried to.  I’m not going to analyze the things that bring me comfort and pleasure.  I think I’ll just take them as the gifts they are.

Enter a drawing to win a happiness keychain and an autographed copy of Emilie’s Happiness Key. Details here.

Right this moment are you 1) Frantically trying to do at least two things at once?  (And yes, yelling at the children or the dog does count as one.)  2) Leisurely planning a leisurely day?  3) Wondering who those lazy people who said yes to #2 think they are?  4) Trying to remember the meaning of the word leisure.

My friends, we have a problem.  It’s summer, the typical time to relax and enjoy the fruits of a long, hard year.  A chance to play with the children, watch concerts in the park, enjoy family reunions with relatives from far and near. 

And yet. . . and yet. . . if you haven’t been taking the occasional breath all year, contemplating snowmen and spring wildflowers, staring out the window for a portion of your day with nothing else on your agenda, you may be in my boat. . .

I’ve forgotten how to relax. 

Yes, that’s right.  I’m at Chautauqua Institution, in gorgeous Western New York, and I’m still running around trying to accomplish three things at once and wondering why that’s impossible.  I’m still piling up things to do, feeling guilty about the things I haven’t added to the list and trying not to snap at the people around me.

And why?  Because, it’s the first week of vacation.  By next week, I’ll get up late, smile a lot, stop making lists while Nemo and I go for our 3 mile morning walk, forget to show up for programs and better yet, be happy I did.

Recharging our personal batteries is essential for productivity.  Try to forget this step and everything grinds to a halt.  Eventually we run down, wear out, find ourselves on the scrap heap of life.  Or sometimes, like a two year old who’s been overstimulated, we just keep going and going until we fall to the floor, for what looks like no good reason, screaming and kicking.

I’ve come to the place where I recharge with the least amount of fuss.  Most of us have a place like that.  It might be down the street at the local coffee shop.  It might be on a cruise ship.  It might be in our childhood bedroom with Mom downstairs making her famous blueberry muffins.  It might be in a beach chair or in a tent on a mountainside.

I bet you know yours, don’t you? I know your answers will vary as widely as my examples.  Relaxation, letting go, recharging? It’s all about your state of mind.

In this week of transition, I’ve learned one important thing.  I wouldn’t need a week just to remember how to relax if I’d taken more time to recharge through the year.  So now, I’ll put that on a list. Note to  myself:  Relax more.  Don’t forget.  Plan ahead for it, in fact start planning immediately.  

Or maybe, I’ll just go take a nap.