This week I needed the help of Mark Nepo, deep-thinker and philosopher extraordinaire, to help me stay positive.
It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride lately. My bumps, however, seem minuscule compared to others in the path of Harvey and Irma. But as my dad used to remind me, “Your valley is your valley, BB. See what you can discover there.”
And so I will.
In separate non-weather related incidents, I lost power for twelve hours and my plumbing backed up causing a thunderstorm of “rain” from my basement ceiling.
Then the door to my van refused to shut, forcing me to cancel two important meetings as I waited for its repair.
That same day, I learned that Madison was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Later that same day, one of my caregivers announced her resignation.
As one of my colleagues admitted in a recent strategy session, “I hate change.”
What an honest statement.
Although we may like to say we love to embrace the new, the truth is it is a chore. Habits are comfortable. Traditions are predictable. Life is just plain easier when it keeps rolling along without the bumps.
Yet, they come. Big bumps, little bumps, and every size in-between intrude on our daily living and remind us how vulnerable we are to forces outside of our control.
In my morning quiet time, Nepo’s words comforted me in his meditation, “The Discomfort of Newness.” He describes the disorientation that we must first feel when we first learn how to walk and dare to move away from a parent’s hand to take our first steps. And the dizziness we experience when we first fall in love and move beyond our own walls to include others.
Each time we reach beyond the familiar, there is a necessary acclimation to newness. “We needn’t be afraid of it or give it too much power,” he writes.
Then he notes how small birds fly, how sudden winds cause them to dip and swerve, and how they must adjust to keep flying.
“Breathe deeply, and know that your heart is such a bird, and that its dips and swerves create a discomfort of newness that you have no choice but to experience, if you are to keep flying.”
Yes! That’s exactly what my heart needed this week. The encouragement to keep flying despite the turbulence. How about you? What encouragement have you discovered that keeps you flying? Tell me about it. I’d love to know.
My best – always,
Becky (Neehah! Note the new name!)
P.S. Welcome new subscribers! Here are a few updates to share:
- At the time of this writing, Madison seems to have recovered fully from her pneumonia. I am deeply grateful for the good care she is receiving as she transitions to her day program and residential programs. Thanks for your steadfast thoughts and prayers.
- 47 reviews on Amazon.com. Thank you so much! Please keep them coming—still so important for the life of my book.
- Story Circle Book Reviews has a new review here.
- Writer’s Digest published my piece on, Staying Positive While Writing About Death and Tragedy. Read, enjoy, and share if you like it!
- And a reminder that I’ll be at the Baltimore Book Festival on Sunday, September 24th. Come see me AFTER you participate in Pathfinders for Autism’s Zoo Run.
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