Growing through anxiety ....
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This morning I received a text ...“Mum, I have my first pimple, I am growing up!”.
Now let me put this in context, this text is from our youngest child, who is at that moment is upstairs, in her bedroom, and it is 7am!
I bound upstairs, and I am invited to inspect the blemish on her cheek – no it does not appear to be a mosquito bite, nor an allergy spot, yes I confirm it does appear to be a full blown pimple.
With delight, our child proudly confides that this is truly evidence of her development.
I share in her excitement, as I look about her room filled with soft toys and pink…and I note for a moment, I am able to sit with both the joy and grief of motherhood...
…I begin to wonder how much longer will I get to witness cartwheels and laughing children’s voices in the house…?
This wondering is momentary, as I am suddenly confronted by the shock of anxiety bolting through my body ...
As I sit with this feeling…I recall my own childhood and sadness eventually arises…
I realise for me, that upon my own shift from child to adoloscent, my world shrank. No longer invited out into the paddocks or up into the mountains with the cattlemen, I felt discouraged from embracing life. I was taught to fear men and to keep a safe distance. As an adolescent growing up in rural Australia, it was if I had become a problem that had to be managed.
My history still sits with me, but today it doesn’t run me …
Nor do I allow my history to run my children's lives ...
Later that morning, when I sit down at my desk, I respond to my daughter’s text ... “Oh how I love you darling. Yes you are growing up and it is the most magnificent experience to watch. M xxx”
Our history is always with us, but by honouring our past, we can find increased capacity to be with the growth and vitality of our present…
This can be both a gift to ourselves and to the generations coming after us...
Leaving you with something to think about ..."What do you do to own and honour your experiences of the past, as they touch you in the present?"
Learn more by reading these related posts... Learning how to 'ground' - a path to meet anxiety and Stress & Anxiety - some simple steps to overcome this state of being.
(Sarah Sacks is a whole body focusing oriented therapist, who works from her practice in St Kilda East, The Grove Counselling & Therapy. Taking a holistic approach to counseling, Sarah works hard to empower her clients to find their own path to recovery.)
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