This perfect storm too shall pass
At my college graduation, Maya Angelou advised all of us that there will be tough days. This is life. Her message to us was, “When it looks like the sun isn’t gonna shine anymore, then a rainbow appeared in the sky.” This hopeful saying got me through some challenging times. Once I became a mother and was trying to strike the working mom balance, I would have some tougher days. As my wise 2.5 year old once said, “Mommy, tomorrow is another day, right?” Yes, and I would sing “the sun will come out tomorrow.” I held onto these mantras and they did center me in the hope that if I just held on a bit more, I will get to the other side. Then some real painful and emotional times came and I was reminded of my aunts favorite saying, “This too shall pass”. And as time went by, the heartache did lessen.
The common thread with all of these gems of wisdom is to hold steady and wait. Well, it has been a year since the pandemic began and we are at the end of our waiting game. So many women that I speak to are experiencing what they describe as one perfect storm after another. We can not hold steady because the waves of these storms are just too big and too powerful. So new wisdom must arise. I am now of the belief that if we swim to the center of the storm, we will find a few moments of peace. In the center, we can regroup and understand the peril that we are facing. It is then that we can say out loud our truth of what we need help with. We can also recharge so that we can make our way to steadier grounds. The real wisdom is to believe that no matter what the outcome of the storm, you will be ok. Trust that you will be ok.
Many of us have held tight to beliefs of what our lives “should be”. Unless you have been blessed to have found enlightenment at a very young age, these beliefs were likely not heart nor soul-centered, therefore are misaligned with your authentic self. Your truth. The person that you were brought to this earth to be. These storms have to be so strong because they are pulling us away from a lie that we and those who influenced us formed for ourselves. They are deeply rooted so pulling them out takes a real force.
After you have gotten to the other side of the perfect storm, a mindful step would be to take stock of what just happened and what has changed. What lesson were you presented with? Has this lesson been presented to you before and have you fully learned it? My darling, these hard times may not be how you planned life to be, but it is your life. Really difficult moments are transformative and offer the opportunity to bring you closer to a life that is authentically you.
So next time a perfect storm comes your way, see it as the change that is meant for you to learn and step forward to your truth. Stay centered and care for yourself and your loved ones. Be sure to say out loud the help that you need to care for yourself and your loved ones so that the support can come to you in abundance. But let go of the stress of holding tight to keep everything the same and see where it takes you.