The Harder Moments of Life

I took last week off from connecting with you all (you may or may not have noticed!!) …. yes, it was a holiday week, that is true, yet I also was deep into some of my harder moments of motherhood.

I am mom to a 16-year-old son…my boy and I are very tight after spending over 11 years on our own. Our bond unbreakable and our connection unshakeable.

Yet, last week’s hard moments with him gutted me and really made me question this unwavering bond of connection that I have with him.

I felt betrayed and disrespected to my core and, yes of course, I understand that his actions are not to be taken personally…yet this particular situation landed in a way that I had not felt before.

Anger from the depths of me oozed out, grief that had been buried long ago, and an overall questioning of exactly my role in his life at this juncture, given the harmful and impactful choices he was making.

Without getting into the nitty gritty of the specifics, we will just say that it has been a lot and has taken me to some new places in myself in working with the inevitable harder moments of life.

I have had to dig deep, lean into my practices, stay anchored in my body, and carve out space for rest and unwinding in the midst of parenting, working, enjoying the summer fun, and preparing for my upcoming women’s retreat.

I have needed to remain in internal dialogue with my mama bear voice while also surrendering, allowing, and trusting that my sons path and trajectory is his to choose…not mine to dictate.

I can hold the space and guide to the best of my ability but at the end of the day, it is his path to choose. Not easy work yet has been so powerful.

I share this with you to normalize and humanize that every single person goes through hard things…moments, days, years…
 

Can we use the harder moments of our lives as fuel for our growth and healing?
 

I found this chicken-scratched passage in one of my many spiral notebooks—raw, unpolished, and yet full of truth. It reminded me how life often hands us our greatest insights in the mess, not the masterpiece. Although I am writing about the dance practice (which is tomorrow night!!), to me it feels like an analogy for and parallel to this human experience of life. (Perhaps replace “dance” with “life experiences” as you read it) 
 

Let the dance meet you where you are. Let yourself be curious about what your body is capable of. Tune into what you need. Allow the energy and emotions to move and circulate however needed. Stay present and awake to your process.

 
These times are not easy. So many are choosing to take leaps forward in their lives even if the path ahead feels scary, uncomfortable, and uncertain.

In the midst of so much outer destruction and angst, there is so much growth happening.

This upcoming weekend is the long-awaited MidSummer Women’s Retreat at Joyful Journey Hot Springs! A powerful group of women will be descending upon this sacred place to dive deep into themselves, unwind their systems, open their hearts, shed some layers of gunk, connect in this supportive community, and hopefully drive away altered and inspired to continue doing their personal work to heal themselves and create ripples out into this broken world.

I honor their commitment to themselves and their process. Please join me in sending love and blessings to these courageous women as they set sail!

Wherever this email may find you, I hope that you are riding the waves of your life with ease, grace, connection, compassion, and a ton of love.
 
Sending unwavering love, care, respect, and faith near and far.

I am always out here for support and/or connection.

Take good care of yourselves and be kind to each other.