Day 4

"Remember only this one thing," said Badger. "The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memory. This is how people care for themselves." 

Day 3

This is an excerpt from a blog I enjoy... Be More With Less, Life on Purpose and it really spoke to me today.  

How often are you in one place, thinking about another?

Stay in the moment

• Breathe. When all else fails, turn your attention to the simple movement of your breath.

• Write. When your mind starts to wander, take a few minutes and jot your thoughts down about the place you are not.

• Mix it up. Is there something small you can change to make the place you are more appealing? Add music or a change in schedule.

• Engage. Why do you have time to think and live somewhere else? Dig in and engage in what you are doing.

• Give thanks. Maybe your current situation is not ideal, but it could be worse. If you find yourself complaining, turn to gratitude.

• Get out. Maybe it’s not a permanent change, but perhaps a walk will help clear your head.

• Really change. If you are often thinking about somewhere else, or unhappy on a daily basis, put change in motion…right now.

 How often are you in one place, thinking about another? My answer: pretty often.

I consciously tried to apply these today  and it was really really helpful. Here's how it went.

Kyle likes to be cuddled and held and squeezed when he is in these cycles. (See Saturday's blog for background.) He can't quite get enough and if he was small, I would pop him in one of those baby packs and wear him around the house all day. But since he is 6 feet tall, he likes me to sit in his wide recliner next to him and apply as much deep pressure as possible. 

This affords me a lot of thinking time. The thoughts aren't always positive. It's a mixture of being grateful there is a way for him to find comfort and that it involves seeking it out from a person. I'm glad I can be here for him. But I do get antsy and feel confined after awhile in addition to my lower back talkin to me. I also start to dwell on the magnitiude of the situation diving deep into the future at times. Resentment comes up too. 

Staying in the moment...I used my new 10 breath technique (see yesterday's post) for starters. Couldn't write cuz I was too squashed with Kyle. But I did put a different playlist on the Ipod to refresh the auditory atmosphere. Kyle loves music and still sings along even when in a cycle.

I kept coming back to the question above... Why do you have time to think and live somewhere else? Pretty powerful when you stop and think about it. Came up with a few answers and then decided to experiement with just being purely with Kyle as best I could. I exercised a few gratitude muscles as well.

Really change. Those words have been rolling around in my mind. Later on, I came up with an idea for our family which may help put some change in motion. I'm very excited about it though still fleshing out the details. I felt so much more hopeful and optimistic after that. Taking action to help create a change rather than the endless loop of dwelling on dissatisfaction. Admittedly, I can't control and change everything but I think there is more to change than what it seems on the surface. 

I hope you find these ideas helpful too.

 Why DO you have time to think and live somewhere else? 

This photograph taken by my daughter Rachel, appears in Breathe. It is also available for purchase in the AutismWithAttitude store. 

 Day 2

Thank you for all the wonderful feedback on yesterday's post. Knowing my words can support you means the world to me. 

The weekends are typically the time many people use to rest, recharge, and play. I didn't mean this as a joke parents of kids with special needs. I know, I know, it can be harder for us to take this time but we sure do need it.

I was able to go to yoga class today and the teacher talked about how much energy we tend to give out and how we do not replenish that energy. This especially applies to caregivers. Eventually, we pay for this in the form of illness or injury when our body basically says if you are not going to slow me down, I will shut you down for awhile. Hopefully, it is not a serious one.

She went on to talk about how one of the ways we can replenish our energy is by breathing. Breathing nourishes the cells amongst other things. Seemed like this was exactly the message I needed to hear today. We went on to do a series of 5 sets of 10 mindful deep breaths into different parts of the body. The effect was sort of a high and I decided she is on to something.

I invite you to give this a try. No time? Pretend you are going to the bathroom and breathe away. I decided this is going to be my "go to" strategy this week. As I said in yesterday's post, Kyle is in rough waters and it is looking like it could be awhile before they settle down.

It's Sunday. How are you going to recharge your battery today?