taking it slow

I'm still taking it slow, listening to my emotions, noticing when I can take on a task, when I need time to laugh or cry (or both at the same time), and when I just need to stare out the window at the sky, listen to the birds, or go for a walk.  

Everything is slower - my thoughts, my memory, my decision-making.

My dad died a week ago, and while there are ways in which it was expected (following 3+ years of gradual decline from pulmonary fibrosis which slowly and heartbreakingly robbed his body of the oxygen it needed), there were also ways in which the rapid deterioration at the end was like falling off a cliff.

In the midst of the loss and sadness, there have been a few profound moments of peace and comfort, and gifts of love and support.  Grief is so individual, and so universal, and so rarely talked about openly.

Because grief brings us into close contact with our own and others' intense emotions, it also reveals the relationship we hold with those feelings.

Shortly after learning about the increasing rate of deterioration, I recorded a previously scheduled podcast episode.  In it, we talked about the importance of caring for the one tool you have as a changemaker - yourself - and the integral role of your emotions.

That podcast episode released today.  I would love for you to listen to it, share it with others, and let me know what spoke to you.  

You can access the podcast here.  

Even when we recorded it a few weeks ago, and I referenced hearing the bad news about a family member, I had no idea what the weeks ahead would hold, or how much I would need to hear this again at this time.  

I hope it can provide a similar encouragement to you and those you love, to nourish and build a trusting relationship with your feelings, so that even during moments of intense anguish, you can attend to exactly what you need.

You matter.  You can make a difference.  I'm so thankful you're here.