“I’m grieving the life I thought I would have letting go of the expectations I once held for myself and accepting that although my life is not what I thought it would be, it is beautiful and real.”
-JD Lynn
REST
As the days turn a little longer in the dark and we have a little less time outside things can slow down a bit this month. Take this chance to rest.
I invite you to make time to rest your mind and heart. I hope in the quiet reflection you will find a deep and lasting appreciation for the gift of life, love and gratitude for the things or people you were trusted with that might now be gone. It’s ok to be still!
LET YOURSELF REST
If you’re exhausted, rest.
If you don’t feel like starting a new project, don’t.
If you don’t feel the urge to make something new, just rest in the beauty of the old, the familiar, the unknown.
If you don’t feel like talking, stay silent.
If your fed up with the news, turn it off.
If you want to postpone something until tomorrow, do it.
If you want to do nothing, let yourself do nothing today.
Feel the fullness of the emptiness, the vastness of the silence, the sheer life in your unproductive moments.
Time does not always need to be filled.
You are enough, simply in your being.
Jeff Foster
PERMISSION
“I gave myself permission to feel and experience all of my emotions. In order to do that, I had to stop being afraid to feel. In order to do that, I taught myself to believe that no matter what I felt or what happened when I felt it, I would be okay.”
–Iyanla Vanzant
Do you consider yourself a free spirit generally operating outside of the lines of expectation? Or are you a rule follower, someone who enjoys and appreciates the clear lines of expectation? One is not better than the other, they are simply different landscapes to live from. I have been thinking about the permission we give ourselves to feel deeply. There are many human emotions that are considered good or favorable. There are just as many or maybe more that are viewed as less favorable or even hard or unpleasant.
Why is it we can be quick to laugh and yet fight back tears of sorrow or pain? I have often wondered why we try not to embrace and accept the wide range of human emotions. I certainly prefer joy and contentment to anger or criticism. I find myself willing to linger longer in the good feelings and want to move as fast as possible through the uncomfortable ones.
I think our lives are built on the tapestry of all the things we feel. Our five senses are the way we experience the world around us. All these senses can make us feel. When I see my sweetheart, I feel happy. When I hear birds singing, I feel content. When I smell a rose, I feel grateful. When I enjoy a well-prepared ribeye, I feel satisfied. When I touch & pet my grand-pup I feel joy. What do you enjoy ‘feeling’ the most through your senses?
I passed the would have been 22nd birthday of my beautiful Joey last month and I felt so many things. I felt a deep and lasting gratitude for his life, for the time we had, for the memories made. I allowed myself time to reflect on all the good things about him, his sweet, dimpled smile, his love for food, his quick wit and sweet thoughtfulness. Then I felt the crushing waves of his loss, the deep agony of not having him here to see, to hear, to hug. It is an overwhelming pain. One that still feels like it is too heavy to bear even after six years. On his birthday I gave myself permission to feel the depth of the pain of him being gone. It still hurts, bad.
I am so grateful for life, for the opportunity to love and be loved. I am so grateful to live in the land of the free because of the brave. I know that whatever comes we will face it with open minds and strong hearts. I look forward to finding more of my light in the coming days of darkness.
I invite you to spend time this month giving yourself permission to rest where you need rest and to feel whatever there is to feel in your life.
I wish you everything good.
Stay healthy, happy, and safe!
All my best,
Genna
RESOURCES
University of Utah Health Caring Connections:
Grief & the Holidays
We are pleased to invite you to attend our 2023 Annual Grief & the Holidays program, which will be held on Tuesday, November 14 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the University of Utah College of Nursing (10 S 2000 E Salt Lake City UT, 84112). Parking will be available near the building for those attending in person. The program will also be streamed online via Zoom.
The theme of this year’s program is “How the Light Comes.” Our featured guest speaker will be Taryn Hiatt, the Utah and Nevada Area Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The program will also feature musical performances by Peter Breinholt.
This program is free and open to the public. We are asking those who plan to attend this year’s event to RSVP at this link
988 – National Mental Health Hotline
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
Crisis Hotlines: Common Hotline Phone Numbers | Eluna Network
Mental Health App’s
Talkspace – Best Overall Therapy App
Calm – Best Mindfulness App
My3 – Three People / Three Distractions / Safety Plan App Chopra App – Great mindfulness and free meditations
The Next Adventure 