self care

An Ode to the Out of Office

Vacations. Holidays. The moments we seemingly build our lives around, escapes from the ordinary, underscoring what it means to depart. Proceeded by a sense of anticipation, in the days before our long-awaited time off, our bodies begin to taste the exhale, excitement building as we get ourselves situated to check out.

This might mean putting a temporary stop on the mail. Making arrangements to ensure our pets are fed. And for those in the working world, many moons ago vacation-prep was also synonymous with turning on the ultimate sign of freedom:

The out of office auto response.

Making Music

For a significant chapter of my life, running was my outlet of choice. Pre-dawn, feet making music against the pavement, I would settle into the monotony of a rhythm that swallowed me whole.

I felt both everything and nothing while I was running. Mind lost in thought, it was assumed my body would defy the odds. The more extreme the conditions, the better test of my merit.   

Darkness. Coldness. Exhaustion. These were the running partners that challenged my soul.

When I Grow Up

The truth is there’s a very fine line between embracing yourself as a work in progress and never feeling like you’ve arrived. If the goalpost of “enough” is an ever-moving target, Gang, we’re never going to get there.

And that then begs the question, what’s the damn point?

Unwrapping the Unknown

The litany of “what ifs” has run the gamut throughout the past year – literally 365 days of living on repeat, holding our breath for more of the same while simultaneously waiting for the next germ-filled bomb to drop. We’ve disguised our discomfort with nervous laughter about the predictability of comfy pants, failed homeschooling attempts, and copious amounts of alcohol consumed.

Yet beneath it all, our insides are rattled as we wonder, when will this all be done?

Packing Our Bags

This is the beauty of starting a new chapter, and a gift that is presented to all of us even without a pending, physical move. Because as the pandemic leaves us forever changed, it is time to start anew.

Soothing the Soul

As our existence continues to be shaped by things that we didn’t ask for, is it wrong to give ourselves what we really, truly need?

Is it “bad” to simulate the hugs we’re dying to give? And receive?

Immeasurable Loss

Why is it so hard to admit the feelings that arise when we acknowledge that for many of us, things we had worked years to build – be it relationships, businesses, or, yes, lifestyles – effectively have been dismantled without a moment’s notice?

Where is the grieving? When do we get to talk about what we’ve lost?

Irrevocably Changed

“Be calm, be still, but let yourself get lost in a storm from time to time.”