Self-compassion for when personal space is limited I think a lot about space—the space in my home, the planets, and the space I reserve for self-discovery. Like many people, I often crowd out the very things I stand for as if my value of them gives me the right to diminish their importance as I […]
I recently watched the new film Everything Everywhere All at Once and cried throughout the whole end as I watched Michelle Yeoh’s character physically pull her daughter from the abyss that threatened her existence. It was too close to home. Three years ago, that’s exactly what I was doing with my then 14-year-old daughter. What started out as my attending the South Bay Families Connected Parent Chat to talk about the seemingly typical challenges I had with my daughter—too much screen time, the plummet of self-esteem in front of social media, peer influence—became a lifeline over the following year as I rose to the challenge of having a child dysregulate to the point of attempting her own life.
Maybe we don’t. (3 min read) How do we pass on wisdom to young ones? Yesterday was Book Club at work and I asked a few of my colleagues, all of whom are parents like me, to share their experience with passing on what they have learned to their kids. We were wrapping up our […]
On fitting into other peoples’ worlds (3 min read) Do you ever try to fit yourself into someone else’s world? Last night I watched the sunset over the playground as my three-year-old son called to me, “Watch this, mama!” over and over again, each victorious climb of a ladder rung. I smiled to him and […]
What do you want to do today? I don’t know about you, but my brain can be like a train hauling fast down the track of ‘have to.’ During those times, I feel guilty when I relax without a purpose or a goal. I stop myself from getting lost in thought or scrolling through Instagram because I tell myself, Time is so precious, never waste it!
This week a close friend of mine leaned in, looked deep into my eyes, and asked, “Are you happy? Now that your daughter is better, are you happy?”
I found myself at a loss. A great big pause ensued.
Why was it so hard to answer? Suddenly I found myself analyzing what it would mean to say yes. Does it mean I have to always be feeling good? What is it for you?
How do you listen to your deep inner knowing? If you can’t hear the voice, or feel the comfort of knowing you will survive this too, how do you make space in your life for that to emerge? Isn’t it within all of us, this impulse to live, until the day we don’t? What does yours look like? Sound like? Is it a candle flame or a north star? Or maybe the sound of a wolf’s howl?
