The week of Christmas, my “tune a week” project quietly went on pause. No announcement. No explanation. I just skipped a week. And while I was internally negotiating with myself about the responsibility and commitment I made to myself and my readers, my dog, Noah, was already several naps ahead of me and completely at peace with the situation.
Here’s the thing about Noah: he is an absolute master at taking breaks.
Tired? Break.
Played hard for ten minutes? Break.
Slept for two hours and woke up slightly drowsy? Believe it or not—another break.
No guilt. No inner monologue. No, “Well, I really should be productive right now.” He simply listens to his body, circles three times, and commits fully to not doing anything.
Meanwhile, I skipped a week of learning a new tune over Christmas and immediately started thinking, Okay, how fast can I fix this? Should I learn two tunes next week? Should I apologize to the internet? Is this the beginning of the end?
Classic.
Instead of rushing back in when the holidays were over, I tried something new. I gave myself the same grace my dog gives himself every single day. I didn’t force a new tune. I played some old favorites. Some days I didn’t play at all. And just like my dog eventually gets up, stretches, and wanders back outside ready for whatever’s next, I found myself easing back into the music naturally and I learned a new tune for next week (blog and video coming on Monday).
Nothing was lost. The tunes didn’t vanish. My fingers didn’t forget everything. Irish music, much like my dog, is remarkably patient. It doesn’t care if you took a week off. It’s just happy when you show up again.
So I’m taking a page from my Noah’s book. Breaks aren’t failures—they’re part of the rhythm. Rest is allowed. Pauses are normal. And when it’s time to come back, you’ll know… probably right after one more nap.
If you need me, I’ll be practicing tunes—or lying on the floor doing absolutely nothing, and not feeling bad about it.
Happy napping!
Session Obsession 