Recently I lovingly reminded my son, a “small mistake doesn’t change who he is. He is still thoughtful, smart, and kind. Everyone makes mistakes.” I firmly believe this truth. And yet, when the situation is flipped, I struggle to talk to myself in a similar, gentle way. Instead, I find myself ruminating on the could-haves and should-haves. Life is irritating that way.
It has been a long journey, almost five years, to rediscover and readjust to my new body cycles, health rhythms, and emotions. But, my biggest take-away right now is the reminder that emotions are complex, sometimes intense, and that is okay. As I have made my way through February, I have practiced pausing and identifying the emotions I actually feel. Then I gently remind myself to be thankful I can feel again, the good and the bad. Even when it is hard, this process of acquainting myself with the emotions present in all of life’s journey is often worth it.
On my “smash the glass days,” the reminder to create “space” seemed to have an opposite effect: instead of the stress escaping, the space seemed to make room for my anxiety with a reminder that “the world is a terrible place.”
There have been countless times I have wished for a magical solution to take away (or at least reduce) the fears I frequently encountered. A recent experience brought to the forefront of my mind the idea of a “magical solution spray.”
the unexpected ever afters 