Be Here, Beloved

Dainty, white tea cup on a white table. Pink flowers in a glass vase are blurred in the background.

As I was meditating this morning, the soothing voice of Yoga instructor, Selena Lael, made it seem as if all was right with the world. 

“Exhaling fully,” she said, “and emitting a humming sound will activate the Vagas nerve.”

Well, I don’t know if I inadvertently activated the “Vegas” — as in Las Vegas — nerve instead somehow, but suddenly I was amped up and anxious. Alarms were blaring in my head. Oh no! I forgot there’s a bill on auto-pay! Is there enough money in my account to cover it?

Also, I’ve got a stack of emails to reply to. Plus, I just dangled my preposition at the end of that last sentence. Aaaah!

So many things just seem so…unfinished. You tackle one situation and another one seems to spring up in its place. All these things are really just tasks on a to-do list, and we’ve all had moments where things have slipped through the cracks, haven’t we? But, looking back on the ledger of your life, you’ve handled such things before. You know how to plow through this pile of problems.

Eyes up. Gaze forward. Hands together in prayer. Shoulders square. One foot in front of the other.

There’s no need to gear up for a fight and “take on the day.” Put down your arms and take IN the day. The battle’s already been won. Do what you can to address what needs attention, and then, stop running in place. Be still, and breathe.

Settle into your comfy armchair with a fresh cup of coffee. Cover your lap with a soft throw blanket. Sit by the sunny window in the living room and pet the cat. Drink in the day that is right now, not the chaotic mess-fest you fear it may become.

It’s okay to stay in today and let tomorrow germinate in God’s garden. Who knows? Maybe the muck and mulch of fear and uncertainty will magically morph it into a beautiful, burgeoning blossom. But for now? Just be here.

Three Things to Remember While Adulting

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Whether you are dealing with recent loss as Lori is or you are simply so tired that you poured the half-and-half in the sugar bowl instead of your coffee cup . . . sometimes adulting is a bit much. We need to remember to give ourselves a break.

Monday I woke up way early. Way, way early. I am not a morning person. Temperatures had dropped and we had the windows open. This should have been perfect sleeping weather. But once I woke up, I had to get up. Once I got up the cat knew I was up. There was no getting back to sleep.

But instead of getting to work, I grabbed a stack of library books. Since I write for young readers, I always have graphic novels and picture books on hand. I settled in the living room to read and listen to the birds.

This led me to three things we all need to remember when adulting.

Kid Stuff

First things first, remember the things that you loved to do when you were a kid or things that you loved to do with your own kids. For me, choice number 1 has always been reading. Always. Even before I could read text, I would read pictures. My father knew he had to beat me to the new National Geographic.

Maybe your recollection of choice is water fights or blowing bubbles, playdough or baking cookies, coloring or paper airplanes. These things are all still fun! And fun is a must when you are hip deep in adulting.

Laughter

Adulting is serious stuff and so it isn’t surprising that we tend to get . . . well, serious. We’re doing important things that keep the electricity on and our families healthy. But this seriousness is also why we need to remember to laugh and smile.

Fortunately, I’ve got a great set of online friends and cousins. They send me jokes and funny pictures. And I also like to read books for young readers. Kids love to laugh so there’s frequently a lot of humor in their books. Speaking of my friends and my cousins, that leads me to #3.

Sharing

Whether it is something funny or something sweet, take the time to share the joy you’ve found with someone else. It can be as simple as sharing a comic on Facebook or sending a friend a card. Think of it as sharing God’s light. You share the light with two people, they share the light with two people and so on.

It isn’t hard to imagine the result of sharing God’s love and God’s light. Adulting may be tough, but it doesn’t have to be dark. The last two years have been isolating and frustrating. Share a little light with someone today.

–SueBE