We are home from our trip to the country. I didn't realize how stressed our household had become until I saw us all unwind.
You know those vintage spinning tops that you wrap string around, pull hard, and watch it spin like the Tazmanian Devil from Looney Toons. Well, we were those tops. Somewhere in the last few months our strings got pulled and we started going fast, spinning with all of our might. I think everyone gets like that sometimes. We get caught up in the go-go-go of it all. We launch into survival mode which has no room for stop-and-smell-the-roses mode.
This week I watched us make a few final, slow rotations and then collapse with a dizzy look in our eyes. When the room finally stopped spinning, our arguing stopped, our tantrums stopped, our voices were a little softer.
Nothing on my list was accomplished this week. And yet the most important thing was accomplished. I was gentle with myself. I let myself do nothing. I read. I had tea parties. I took walks with small barefoot people. I dug through my mom's attic (there's a post about therapy in there that I'll save for another day).
I find my mind is a little quieter now that I'm home. I'm ready to accomplish that list now. But I want to hold onto the calm just a little longer. I want to learn to be gentle with myself in the daily so that I don't become the spinning top. Because my children mimic my emotions and my stress whether I like it or not. How do I do that? How do I stop the string from being pulled?
We are home from our trip to the country. I didn't realize how stressed our household had become until I saw us all unwind.
You know those vintage spinning tops that you wrap string around, pull hard, and watch it spin like the Tazmanian Devil from Looney Toons. Well, we were those tops. Somewhere in the last few months our strings got pulled and we started going fast, spinning with all of our might. I think everyone gets like that sometimes. We get caught up in the go-go-go of it all. We launch into survival mode which has no room for stop-and-smell-the-roses mode.
This week I watched us make a few final, slow rotations and then collapse with a dizzy look in our eyes. When the room finally stopped spinning, our arguing stopped, our tantrums stopped, our voices were a little softer.
Nothing on my list was accomplished this week. And yet the most important thing was accomplished. I was gentle with myself. I let myself do nothing. I read. I had tea parties. I took walks with small barefoot people. I dug through my mom's attic (there's a post about therapy in there that I'll save for another day).
I find my mind is a little quieter now that I'm home. I'm ready to accomplish that list now. But I want to hold onto the calm just a little longer. I want to learn to be gentle with myself in the daily so that I don't become the spinning top. Because my children mimic my emotions and my stress whether I like it or not. How do I do that? How do I stop the string from being pulled?
I am so glad that you had a restful and reflective spring break. We love you.
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