I Am Grateful

I am grateful for my precious child
who fills my heart with joy
who fills my throat with laughter
who fills my eyes with tears
who fills my life with meaning.

I am grateful for my thriving body
with eyes to see every small beauty
with ears to fill with the musics of the world
with a mouth to kiss, a tongue to taste, a throat to sing
with strength in my shoulders to carry my burdens
with arms for holding, throwing and catching
with hands to create and explore
with a chest that makes a perfect pillow
with healthy organs that do their jobs admirably
despite the crap with which I fuel them
with a heart that keeps perfect rhythm
I am grateful for my strong legs and clever feet
for the swing in my hips and the dance in my step

I am grateful for every precious moment in this world
every challenge I overcome
every victory I celebrate
every peace I savor
and even the drama that shows me the value of peace

I am grateful for the gift of choice
the responsibility of knowledge
the joys of discovery
and the rewards of patience

Blessed be.

7 Ways I Cope With feeling Overwhelmed

"Overwhelmed" is a feeling I have a lot of experience with.

Here are some of the things that work for me, and maybe can work for you too.

1) I make myself watch something that is guaranteed to make me laugh until I cry and get a stitch in my side. Any laughter is good, but lots of laughter gets the endorphins flowing, and then, when I am full of joy and love, I think of the things that were overwhelming, aggravating, or depressing, and see them in a whole new way.

2) I write - and by this, I mean that I try to bring what I'm experiencing to life for someone who would have no comprehension of what I am going through - even if I have no intention of sharing my journal entry, it's the focus of explaining the unexplainable that leads to epiphanies and new understanding.

3) I make lists. Something about being able to see every thing organized in black and white makes it all seem more manageable.

4) I give myself permission to immerse myself in spirituality. I light a candle and pray for healing and guidance, then go lay down in the grass, stare up at the sky, and realize how immense the universe is. I wonder what's out there. I smell the earth, feel the sun and breeze, listen to the sounds of life and my own heartbeat. I see the connections, how every tiny thing effects every other thing in this world, until I feel one with every thing, and feeling that way helps put my worries and stress into perspective.

5) I take a day off to nourish myself. For a day, I am a kid babysitting Aiden, a playmate for him, and don't worry about cleaning or any other grown up responsibilities. I do my best to see the world through his eyes, and by the end of the day, I feel free and recharged.

6) I obtain spiritual guidance from someone I respect. For me, that means getting a tarot reading from my mentor, or from myself if I'm broke...lol For another, it might mean talking to a church member, or a maternal or paternal person or two who is both wise and compassionate.

7) Sometimes, before I can do any of the above, I just have to vent. I'll email one of my best friends, ask for help on a mothering group, text someone who won't judge me, or hand write a letter to whomever is the focal point of my stress, which I burn afterward.

My personal life goal in life is to increase the amount of peace, joy, and love in every one I come in contact with. Because of this, I do my best not to judge, criticize, condemn, complain, or make excuses. But I also don't punish myself when I fall short of my goal. That would be counter productive.

So that's my list...hope it helps someone! Please feel free to share it with anyone it might benefit. <3

The Scarcity Farce

A few months ago, I was chastised for claiming to feel horrified by a toy I found offensive...which was apparently wrong of me because genital mutilation and rape are rampant in Africa.

My response was to blink a few times, shake my head, and choose to not respond.

A few days later, I was called petty for making a joke about a tense situation in our new home because a week prior I'd been homeless.

That time I was pissed. Considering how little I complained relative to how much I suffered, I felt offended at the idea that I wasn't allowed to feel anything other than gratitude that things weren't worse.

The idea that I should feel guilty for even jokingly complaining because others have it worse, or because I could have had it worse, operates on the underlying belief that both joy and suffering are finite, and that if I am suffering less than someone else, I must have more joy that that other person.

But just like love, joy and pain are both infinite and limitless. It is possible to feel profound joy and profound pain at the same time. It is possible to be equally as horrified by racism or homophobia as by the torture of innocents. It is possible to love someone even when you are angered by their actions, and even when you don't like to be around that person. I know, I've done all of the above! In the same day!

Every one of us has a right to our feelings. They are a part of us, not to be regulated by the opinions, expectations, or ideas of others. They are our emotional bodies, and who has the right to tell you what you can and cannot do with your own body?