I’ve not written here for ages now.  But I read the blogs every day and feel inspired and comforted by all that is so beautifully written.  So thank you to you all. 

I’ve had a week of it…. Lots of things triggering me and bothering me. I lost my peace. In facing up to my feelings, instead of pushing it all away, eating it away, ignoring it, avoiding it, etc, I asked a friend if I could talk with her for a few minutes. A brave move of stepping outside my usual ‘comfort zone’ of avoidance, and believing she would give me her time and attention and that I deserved that just at that moment. 

I shared my troubles, my heart, my confusion, the feelings of injustice, my frustrations around an ‘omission’ about something and the following lack of transparency from a colleague, an older Uncle very unwell (and has since passed away), my concerns about my son and the divorce he is going through, myself feeling generally a bit lonely, outside of and distant from wider family, and this is all without my huge distress around the general state of the world at this difficult time. 

As I was talking, I found myself ‘stopped’ in the midst of it all, and I began to cry, to sob, to breathe in and out deep sighs of distress. After a little while my friend just came and sat next to me, held me and gently stroked my hair and loved me where I was at. 

No words could really change what was going on, but she just was there for me, ‘knew’ me in that moment, and her presence was a great comfort. Being seen and being known and not being judged or told to think positively or anything else. Just being held. Did wonders for me. 

I returned home, and saw my precious dogs and gave them a big hug – they warmed my soul too. I decided to care for me a bit more. Put my needs first, cancel a few things, walk and hug the dogs, make time to see good, faithful friends.  Listen to songs and music that also soothe my soul. Perhaps do some craft work – cross-stitch or stone painting. 

As I come to the end of this week, I feel less stressed, more grounded, and calmer again and my peace is gradually returning. I thank God for the good things in my life; my husband, my son, my dogs, my dearest friends, my family. And I find that, despite the storms going around in life, that I am safe and still in the eye of the storm and things are ok again.   

So, I encourage you to consider, what do you do when you are down? What do you need when you are troubled? What things help and what things hinder? Most of all, I hope you find peace in the midst of your storms and know the comfort of an understanding friend, a warm presence and a kind word.

Maggie Jane

A Moodscope member