My son suffers anxiety. I'm trying to help him smash that wall. I suffer anxiety. I have built a life around it. I have, rightly or wrongly, built a life to accommodate it. When my three caterpillars have grown fully (and they are almost there) and spread their butterfly wings and fly, I will confront some of it but until then, I am ok with having built my life around it.

In my life, nobody knows. I act. First thing today when my boy was hurting so much, after we parted, I sent him a text message. He loves to stay in touch. After I sent it, I realised I needed to heed my own advice. Here's what I sent:

"It is an intense time right now. You've not got much time to process everything and that is what you need to stay healthy inside your head. Processing time will come, and we must take it in little bites when we can. You've done it before and you'll do it again. What is for you doesn't go by you. If it's meant, it happens anyway, just at a different time. I'm here for you."

He came home better and made choices in his day which could put me to shame! It's time I take my own advice. This is a good example of being kind to yourself, a phrase I have long not understood. I can be kind to myself by hearing my own words and applying them to myself.

Inspired by our lovely Leah, I will leave you with a question. What might you say to my son that might also apply to yourself? Absorbing your own message is being kind to yourself. I'm learning.

Love from

The room above the garage

A Moodscope member.