Lately I’ve been sad, there has been bad news all around me. Cancer in my family, cancer in my friend’s family, possible Alzheimer’s there as well and the list goes on and on. The feeling of helplessness can be depressing as all you can do is reach out and be there the best you can. No magic wand to make it all better. Right now everything is good in our lives, the boys and my husband are well and I don’t want to spend time thinking the sky is going to fall and being generally negative. The truth of the matter is that there are good times and bad times in life. Everyday I pray for everyone I know who is suffering and I thank God for all the blessings I have in my life right now, I also pray for strength when things go wrong. I’ve decided to start a new ritual that helps me cope with some of the sadness that I’m feeling, every day I find something that makes me laugh and smile. I find a funny video, read a funny comic, laugh with the kids and my husband. Laughter is a healer, a wonderful healer that we all take for granted. I think for so many of us right now life is on a fast track and I feel that this fast track lifestyle disconnects us from our authentic selves. We have to take a quiet moment and reflect on what we are thankful for and then add some laughter in there as well. Our family has started an exercise program, we all workout together three days a week. Last night my husband was too tired from working his shift work and my youngest decided to skip the running part of our workout. I joined my oldest son on a mother – son jog and when we got home we did some stretching and yoga. My youngest decided to join us for the yoga session. All three of us side by side practising downward dog and just as I’m focusing on my breath and feeling the stretch throughout my body, my youngest son reaches over and tickles my stomach. At first I was really annoyed because I was trying to focus on my breath and he was making it impossible for me to focus. He then reaches over and tickles me again, this time I started to giggle and then I remembered a time when he was just a little wee toddler. Ever since the boys have been very young, I’ve always incorporated exercise into my daily routine. When they were really young I often did yoga at home and the two of them would stack their toys near where I practiced my positions so they could be beside me while I exercised. Whenever I did the “cat stretch” or “downward dog” my youngest would giggle and crawl over to go under the “bridge”. Once under the “bridge” he would reach up and tickle me and then laugh himself silly. I had forgotten that memory until last night and listening to him giggle brought me right back to that special moment. This very small wonderful act connected me to my authentic self and brought a moment of tranquility just when I needed it the most. It’s important that we all take the time to smell the flowers, smell them every day by really listening to your loved ones and find a reason every day to smile and laugh.
“Walk in the rain,
smell flowers,
stop along the way,
build sandcastles,
go on field trips,
find out how things work,
tell stories,
say the magic words,
trust the universe.”
Below – I call this baby yoga – picture taken many moons ago.
MOMWHEARINGLOSS 