Welcome to this chance to go in and quiet,
Center and settle.
Take a deep breath in.
Let it all out.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
There's something about toddlers.
They can be the cutest darn things as they give you a big,
Sloppy kiss and you smell like peanut butter for the rest of the day.
Inhale.
Exhale.
And we've all probably witnessed the toddler meltdown.
When the parent's grocery cart is full with frozen peas and ice cream and as the child screams,
You can see how exhausted and spent the parent is.
And it's in that moment that the parent has a decision to make.
What do I do?
Inhale.
Exhale.
If you are doing well right now,
That is wonderful.
May you continue to find the goodness and joy in life.
But almost everyone I know feels like their insides are overtired toddlers right now.
They are almost beside themselves with exhaustion and overwhelm.
It reminds me of something the indigenous poet,
Wawa-cha,
Once wrote.
The noise of my spirit shall speak very clear.
Inhale.
Exhale.
What is the noise of your spirit saying to you right now?
What is the deeper message your spirit is trying to tell you in this moment?
If your spirit animal is currently a toddler trapped in the throes of the terrible twos,
The message it might be trying to tell you is,
Let's stop.
Let's snuggle into a chair with something nourishing to eat and drink.
Let's close our eyes and quiet and rest.
Inhale.
Exhale.
As with a toddler,
Getting mad at the overtired spirit isn't going to help,
Nor is dragging it to six more places to get everything accomplished on the to-do list.
Stop.
Feel your sitting bones.
Soften the skin around your eyes and mouth.
Feel the cool breath as it enters your body.
Feel the warm breath as it leaves you.
Allow yourself this moment where you can be quiet,
Where you are enough,
Where you can grow still and centered.
What is it that you will give to your noisy spirit right now?
Stay with the quiet.
Stay with the breath.
Surrender.
Let go.
Be in your body.
Be in this moment.
Sit.
Breathe.
Be tender.
Be kind.
Handle your spirit with care.
And live light.
