It's a full life. Remember to focus on your core.

When my sisters and I get together, often times, we spend our first few moments  discussing the challenges of our schedules and the craziness of our lives. I'm sure this doesn't seem that unusual, or that big of a deal, but when we realized that we would not be able to spend even one weekend this summer with all of us together, it hit, life is full, maybe too full.

Full of good, full of stress and full of all the in-between. This fullness was (is) preventing us from much needed, face to face, sister time. The problem is, this year, it just can't be avoided. This made us all a little upset, and frankly, feeling a little lost in the busyness of the day to day.

One of my beautiful and very talented sisters has been promising to write a blog post for me to share. I think her writing is lovely, and her wisdom unparalleled! She surprised me with this on Monday. 

Life always seems so full. The basics of eating, working, and sleeping are punctuated by paying bills, cleaning, grocery store runs, and car maintenance. Then there are the relationships: children, spouses, parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, all or whom deserve, request, and require our time, mind, and heart. These are our days, sprinting past.  I cannot be the only one who, after addressing all of those other things, then scolds myself for somehow not taking enough time to exercise, enough time to cook the healthier food options, enough time to meditate, and pray, and read, and, and, and...is it any wonder we feel stretched? 

I will not patronize anyone here with suggesting the obvious: say “no” to some things, or enact even greater feats of multi-tasking and organization. One would assume if those solutions were realistic options, they would have already been enacted. Nor am I some guru of efficiency or self-preservation that could dream of designing some one-size-fits-all app, or planner, or sentence, or product to ease our beleaguered states. But I will say what every yoga instructor would say if you are wobbling out of balance in a pose; focus on your core. Breath into any areas of tension. Some discomfort can be ok, but don’t try to force something lest you hurt yourself. Give yourself grace for being where you are. Find your center, and be strong in it. 

Namaste

Irene