Journaling / Writing Prompt #BeYourself
Journaling / Writing Prompt
Who are the people in my life with whom I feel the most like myself?
#journaling #writing #journalprompts #writingprompts #selfcare #beyourself
Hot Air and Self-Care
The air is thick, weighty; at times it feels oppressive. This Alaskan girl is not ideally suited for this kind of heatwave.
But I know there are some creatures perfectly suited to the warm air.
I’ve decided the best way to deal with this heat is to set aside all the little chores I’ve been stewing over. This is not the time for cleaning out closets or rearranging furniture. There’s no need for meals that require firing up the oven.
All this hot air is a reminder that sometimes I need to prioritize self-care over all the other projects I’ve got lined up.
A few extra showers each day to help stay cool.
Popsicles with my girl.
Staying hydrated.
Naps during the hottest part of the day.
Quiet time with a book while sitting in front of a fan.
This hot season wont last, and it will turn cool again soon. Autumn is around the corner with the frenzy of back to school, followed by the extra time for work that will resume when my daughter returns to school.
The breeze will return.
And the rain.
There will be time for work.
Now is the time for some languid summer rest. 
This year, I am participating in Susannah Conway’s August Break. Follow the hashtag #augustbreak2015 on various social media to find more posts from participants. 
Breathing Space
I’ve been in a state of overwhelm lately. It’s not all bad, it’s just a lot. A lot to take in, a lot to think about, a lot to do. And still, I’m supposed to sleep every night? Nah, when everyone else is sleeping is the one time I can think.
I’ve got several posts on back burners in various stages of the editing process and most of them pretty deep. But I wasn’t up for deep today. I need breathing space. Fresh ocean air and plenty of space to breathe.
So I’m sharing it with you.
I’ll be alright, and I’ll catch up with myself soon enough.
A circle of women
28 women, all whom I adore.
28 women finding ways to squeeze the day, every day, while living with cancer and it’s after effects.
Every year we converge on this little retreat center in the woods, on the edge of the canal.
Every year we laugh, we cry, we eat, drink, and dance,
We challenge each other, we hold each other up.
And even more importantly, we rest, and we are cared for.
Every year I come back home feeling two inches taller.
P.S. This year, I brought a spare camera and handed it over to the group, asking them to take pictures as well. I’m so glad I did. I came home with pictures that were complete surprises to me, and this year, I was so engaged in just being present that I hardly took any pictures at all. Thanks so much to my friends for picking up the slack.
P.P.S. The link in the first line will take you to the poem I read at the retreat. It resonated so profoundly with so many of us, and I received many requests for copies. (I’m not affiliated with the writer of the poem, but when you write stuff this good, it deserves a link.)
Let’s Connect
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What inspired you this week?
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WW linky is on page 2.
Letting the moss grow
The other day I had a rare moment of solitude after I dropped my husband off at the office, and drove back home All By Myself. I took the long way, the scenic route along the length of Lake Washington. As I drove, with the water and sun to my left, and mansions to my right, I pondered the week ahead and how I would spend the luxury of down time that would accompany the recovery from my upcoming surgery.
I would get caught up on my correspondence, do my taxes, get a number of blog posts prepared in advance, organize our finances, get started writing a series I’ve been plotting, edit a few thousand photographs, work my way through a stack of books I’ve been longing to read…
My head was racing as I pondered all the projects I’d finally have a chance to tackle, when I saw a big fat bald eagle sitting on a tree branch along the side of the road. I had to drive quite a ways ahead to find a place to park the car, then grabbed my camera and walked back to his tree. He sat there waiting, and watching me walk between the lake and the road. He waited and watched till I pulled my camera up to my face, then took off before my first click. Three clicks of the camera and he was gone.
But the stop was good for me.
It slowed me down.
I meandered back to the car. I stopped to watch birds play. I kicked a rock around for a while. I sat down and studied moss growing out the side of a stone wall.
It’s been three weeks since that drive, and nearly 3 weeks since my surgery. In that time, I have not done one of the things on my list. I rested. I watched a lot of movies. I colored in coloring books with my daughter. I snuggled. I let more than 2000 additional emails accumulate in my inbox. But, it’s all ok. I needed a rest.
Maybe, one of these days, I will get caught up on my correspondence, but it wont be today. Today, I’m going to snuggle on the couch with my little girl and watch Tinkerbell, and maybe we’ll sing some songs, and make up a few stories.
My to do list can wait another day.
