Self Care

I came from being a child to having a child. If you can’t read between the lines here, let me spell it out for you. I ran out of my abusive, depressing, angry household at the age of 19, hooked up with a man, fourteen years my elder, and had my first child at 21. Yes, I know many who had children at younger ages, and to all of you, I say: God bless you for doing that at such a young age.

 I left a home populated with individuals who never spoke about anything meaningful, where most of our days were spent avoiding each other and, for some of us, fearing the night. For it was in the night when the demons came out. As you can surmise, this was not a formula for being self-realized and empowered.

 For some of you, self-care was taught as you were reared.  But for me the self-care journey would be delayed for decades. My description of self-care for the purpose of this conversation is the kind of self-care where you put yourself first, where you tell your child that you can’t give them a ride to the party because you have a gym date or a walking date with a friend. Yes, self-care is where you decide that your mental, emotional, and physical health is worth saying no to your child for.

 This is where I failed miserably. I served my husband and children so completely that I was left out of the formula. In truth, I would make the same decisions to care for my family, but I would begin to figure me in the formula.

 But now? My eyes have been opened and I can see now that my self-care is self-love is self-compassion is self-acceptance. Self-care is realizing that the self in self-care is the One that creates all. When I am practicing self-care, I am honoring the temple that houses the One by means of me in this lifetime.

 My self-care, in balance of course, is my devotion to the presence of the One that creates all that is. How glorious! Devotion is not something I speak of often philosophically, but devotion to the temple that is my body that was created of genius, that I can practice.

 Join me in pondering your self-care. Do you? Are you willing to learn? One of the sweet rewards is feeling vital and joy filled. Begin to make a plan today to honor your temple like never before.

"Self-care is not a selfish act -- it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others."  ~ Parker Palmer