I see this thought in people’s faces. I think the expression comes before some people can hide it. The world is coming closer to seeing that we are all in a struggle. We have so many issues to fight in our world today: equality, gender awareness, and “Me Too” fights, coming out with wrongs that somehow we forced ourselves to silence. And these are just to name a few. We have a world to walk in where there is no happy ending sometimes, or you must make the happy ending for yourself daily.
I’ve shared with all of you beautiful readers that I did not want to be Anna’s mom for the first two years. No, it did not come naturally. It’s normal to feel this way if we are honest.
As I reflect on these feelings and I look into this year coming to an end I want to encourage self-care. I want to encourage self-love. Warriors need this so much. Motherhood demands more of us. Be more to yourself. Take time to plug in and unplug when you need to.
Do you have things in your life that need to be addressed or subtracted from your life? Would it surprise you to let go of things you’ve always loved? I took a “gap year” from the many aspects of Halloween that I normally go all out for. Why? I’m struggling for time and I was grieving the upcoming loss of my dear German Shepherd. It took its toll on me. I canceled my Halloween party for the first time in about ten years. As soon as I did it the feeling about it felt right. Weird, but right. Yes, I bought a few things, but only put those out. I did not go into my “Halloween closet” at all. I only went in there last night to get the costume for tomorrow. Yes, I want to dress up and I will dress up because I can go see Anna’s class, surprise the kids and check in with all the staff. That’s all I took out. The rest will sit there in silence in their own labeled Rubbermaid tubs and wait for another fall to come.
I needed this space and I’m taking good care of myself for doing this. There are gap years for college, why not take them from our lives here and there? We don’t have to do what we have always done, or always been told. Especially with our lives, our over loads, our days of complete zig zag schedules that happen in a flash. I’m posting the self care wheel here today and I hope you look at it and where you are lacking. Everyone is lacking in one area or another. It’s fun to compare your balances and deficits to see how you are doing.
Fun ideas for self care that I enjoy:
Take a bath or shower at the opposite time of the day where you will be less rushed
Enjoy a book in bed with the pillows propped up
Make an Amazon Christmas Wish List or your favorite store and fill up the cart, snap a picture and send it to someone (or yourself)
Subscribe to a self-care box that comes monthly
Browse through an old photo album of yourself and tell yourself how good you are and how you have prevailed
Have a night of the week of the month where you take yourself out on a date
Tell someone how they make you feel, good or bad, unload that heaviness or love in your mind.
Keep well, keep fighting, you are loved.
