Storm of Life

This has been a whirlwind month. September has flown by with hurricane-strength winds. While Lake Tahoe burns and New York is deluged by rain, people everywhere have been battered by the constant onslaught of pandemic trauma and drama. Anti-mask and anti-vaccine sentiments railing against science, safety, and general welfare concerns. Travel plans are in flux as is the future. Hawaii demanding people cancel their trips, while the airplane industry begs us to book a flight. Schools opening and children forging ahead into the unknown, while parents simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief and wring their hands in worry.

I’m EXHAUSTED. Wrung out. Battle worn. While nothing has truly changed (we’re mid-pandemic after all), the constant fear of change, of the rug being pulled out yet again, has made me fragile. There can be no routine, no settling into a reliable system of schedules and predictability.

I just cancelled my plans to see family because airports and taxis have far too many indoor human interactions for my comfort level. I’m rethinking all our holiday plans; road trips and staycations yet again. But at least this I can accommodate for. But what if school is cancelled and my kiddos are sent home for in-person learning? I struggled HARD last year with my career. And I wasn’t alone. There were massive-gendered career casualties due to Covid.

How can we as women hold space for this much unpredictability? As mothers, we juggle so many balls: soccer and dance, birthdays and school forms, lunches, and toilet paper. As women, we’re simply more vulnerable to job loss, on top of the gender pay gap.

And while a glass of wine isn’t the answer, sometimes, the simplest solution is the best way to move forward. One step at a time. One breath at a time. One sip at a time. When life is a tornado of anxiety around you, tiny moments of peace are what you need to hold on to. You might not have time for an hour-long therapy session or a half-hour meditation. Maybe yoga is too far removed from your current headspace, and all the screams of self-care are grating. Our advice? Unapologetically eat goldfish crackers and drink NASTY WOMAN WINES Pantsuit Pinot Noir for dinner. Be kind to yourself. Honor yourself. Forgive yourself. Reframe the way you’re speaking to yourself.

Tone it down a notch. Bring it to a micro-level of Zen. When life is minute to minute, when there are no plans, and schedules are wishful thinking, go second to second. Look in the mirror and hold your own gaze. Acknowledge the strength and resilience that exist at your core. Center yourself in the middle of that tornado. Root yourself in your body. Be the eye at the center of the storm.

It’s not the answer, it’s barely a band-aid. But let’s start here, together, taking these micromovements towards sanity and a stronger self however we can.