This idea of self care is all the rage, isn’t it? I get it, I hesitated to borrow it myself, and still, the more I contemplated what self care really means, how the science says it works, and why it helps with mental health, wholeness, and happiness – I was nerdy for it.
Any intervention that is simple, sustainable, and best yet, free – I’m down for it.
This is the third year we’ve celebrated father’s day without one of my dads. I am honored and supported by the love of three other dads in my life – my husband from my youth, my dad from my birth, and my papa from the Hedrick side – I still desperately miss my the dad from the Overton House on the River. Sometimes I even wallow in it.
I wish so badly and sometimes curse very loudly that it hadn’t happened to us, but it has, and so, what am I/should we do about it. My dad used to always tell me, you have two choices, Kristi. And he was right, as always, he was right –
* get older or don’t
* be kind or be a butt
* heal that or hurt
* go through it or get stuck
* make meaning or feel mundane
* practice self care or …
Those are my additions at the end there.
As my fantastic web designer and developer – Digitally Distilled – and I were pulling ExOr together, I discovered that May is Mental Health Awareness month. Delightful, I thought. Another reason to explore Mental Health Matters. Sad, I contemplated, that I hadn’t known that already.
Self care is the notion that a soul must be tended to or it will wither. It is this idea that wellness comes from nurturing all parts of one’s complex self. It is the relentless practice of making the time to consider & challenge, create & celebrate to enliven one’s soul and spirit.
According to the dictionary, self care is the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation.
I love how straightforward that reads. Imagine a wellness intervention that addresses the body, mind, and spirit, but doesn’t require the cumbersome medical system, a big fatty bill, or a slew of aggravating obligations compressing an already hectic day. Sounds glorious, doesn’t it?
Happy Mother’s Day to all the different kinds of mamas out there. The peaceful ones and those in turbulence. Those just starting the journey and those deep into the story. Those who carry their babies close and those who are unable. Best wishes to mamas who love the role deeply and those who are barely holding on. Here’s to the mamas who are trying our best and getting better over time.