Showing Up Strong

I remember when we had a 10-day mindful mommy wellness challenge and it turned into a reminder that wellness is hard to do when things are not well and you do not feel strong. The word strong is often associated with physical strength, though we are seeing that mental strength is needed in today’s word as a mom. I went to Michigan after my Dad started exhibiting symptoms of a stroke. As I sat in the hospital I was reminded of how important our health is and that life is so precious. He is alive and we are working on his health, though I was reminded that when we show up for our kids and our parents we also need to show up for us. I can easily do my wellness practice, but it gets hard to do when you are talking to medical professionals in a hospital. It is so frustrating and nerve wrecking. What is even harder to do is to be vulnerable and to share with others. I hear from a lot of people that I am strong or I know the right thing to say. I do it for a living so it comes natural as a therapist. I am learning to be vulnerable and to communicate my needs, boundaries and accept and receive love when it is given to me. I know there is a mom out there that seems strong on the outside, but really wants support from others. When you have been accustomed to handling things on your own due to necessity, asking for help is often the last thing on your list. I had a friend say to me after talking about my Dad, “Michelle that is so hard. You are dealing with a lot.” She looked at me and I was thankful for someone to not minimize how I was feeling or start relating it to their experience. I felt heard and I felt seen. When we can be vulnerable and share with others, we show strength for how important our feelings are.