“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare," - Lorde, “A Burst of Light"
Self-care is a proactive way to cope with difficult situations that are weighing you down. It is way more than taking time out, having a soothing shower or bubble bath, taking a mental health day, and not one of us has to justify why we are doing it. After reading The Red Tent, by Anita Diamont, I gained a whole new perspective on why one needs to withdraw, betimes, and simply take care of oneself in compassionate, loving ways; with, or without, ritual; with, or without, gathering with other women. Whatever it takes for you, personally, to replenish your energy, to soothe your soul, to cleanse away a day, a week, a month. You can smudge, light candles, draw oracle cards, read inspirational books, paint, craft, be nothing to anyone but yourself for an evening, an hour, a night, a day. The weight and responsibilities of women is heavy duty stuff. We are supposed to be everything for everybody ELSE. Taking time to do nothing but for yourself is empowering, is a respite, is holy.
We are emotional sponges for our partners, for our friends, for our children, and deal with their ups and downs as if we were trained to do so. But we seldom take the time to really process our own feelings, to fill our dry riverbed with waters of our true worth and authentic knowledge of our own divinity. We are co-Creators. blessed with gifts of no other gender. We forget that we are something beyond wife, partner, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt…. We are healers. We are destined to heal the world when the worst of the worst happens. To do so, we must find ways to brush off the day, the negativity, and empower ourselves to be ready to do what is need to take care of Mother Earth and all of creation on it. That is a huge destiny. To do so, we have to be healthy and strong, and brave and ready.
©Carol Desjarlais 9/10/23
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