You've just had an interaction that stirred something inside of you.
Maybe a comment about your child,
A tone that felt condescending,
A moment that left you tense,
Angry,
Or misunderstood.
Even if you kept your words calm on the outside,
You can feel the heat of it burning quietly inside.
Let's take this moment,
Not to rehearse what happened,
But to soothe what's been activated,
What's been set off.
Take a long,
Slow in-breath through your nose,
And exhale through your mouth,
Letting the body begin to unwind.
Again,
In.
.
.
And out.
Feel the breath begin to widen the space around the tightness.
Again,
Inhale.
.
.
And exhale.
Notice where you are,
The seat beneath you,
Your feet on the ground.
Drop your shoulders.
Let your hands rest softly in your lap.
If your jaw is clenched,
Give it permission to soften.
Your body here is telling you a story of protection,
Of wanting to be seen,
Of defending your child and yourself.
You don't have to silence that story.
You just don't have to live inside of it.
With each breath,
Imagine your exhale as a slow release valve,
Letting out the pressure of what you're holding.
Inhale.
.
.
Exhale,
Release.
Say quietly to yourself,
That was hard.
It hit something deep in me.
Defensiveness is the nervous system's way of saying,
This does not feel safe.
Anger is the signal that something important was touched.
Your values,
Your care,
Your boundaries.
You can acknowledge the anger without letting it steer you.
You can listen to the message underneath it.
I care deeply about my child.
I want to be respected.
I want to belong.
Let those truths settle.
They are tender,
Human,
And entirely valid.
Inhale.
.
.
Exhale.
Imagine standing near a small fire pit,
The embers glowing hot after a flare of flame.
You don't need to stomp it out,
Just tend to it wisely.
With each exhale,
You add a breath of cool air,
Enough to lower the heat without extinguishing the light.
The fire represents your passion,
Your love,
Your instinct to protect.
It's not wrong,
It just needs balance.
As you breathe,
See the flames settle to a steady glow,
Warm,
Contained,
Powerful.
You can hold that fire without letting it burn you.
Put one hand at your heart's center,
And the other on your belly.
Feel the warmth of your own body.
You've just held back from reacting in the moment,
And that takes strength.
Now,
Offer yourself kindness for the effort it took to stay composed,
To not react,
To pause.
Whisper softly,
That stirred something in me.
I can honor what I felt and still choose calm.
I can protect my peace and my child without losing myself.
Let the breath soften around those words.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
You're choosing response over reaction,
And that is a powerful act of love.
Take another full breath in,
Filling the belly and the lungs,
And exhale completely.
Notice the quiet,
The space that you've created in your chest,
In your mind,
In your heart.
You don't need to rehash the moment,
Or plan what you'll say next,
Or think of what you should have said.
For now,
It's enough to have come home to you.
As you move forward,
Remember,
Other people's behavior doesn't define your worth.
You can hold boundaries with calm,
And speak truth with grace.
You can model for your child what it means to stay grounded,
Even when the world presses your buttons.
Let your final breath remind you,
You are steady,
You are centered,
And you can carry that peace into whatever comes next.
Be well.
