I am going to be honest: the paradox of emotions is bubbling over. We have been balancing a new type of leadership, planning new systems, and intense communication to be sure those within the Nourish family feel seen, heard and valued in this time. All with the lens of Nourish’s commitment to connection and love.
…while monitoring the news and press conferences, checking DeWine’s Twitter, and setting up Nourish for success when we do reopen.*
…while knowing that being a small businesses (particularly “mom and pop” type businesses) will suffer from this (we know we aren’t alone in that).
…while two toddlers run underfoot; banging pots, demanding snacks, and screaming “BUTT PASTE” more than I care to admit.
…while I grieve intensely. In grief, losing anything magnifies the big losses in our lives. Even losing our rhythm.
I am IN IT.
And I have a feeling YOU may be IN IT too.
So being perfect during this time is not an attainable goal (is it ever?).
But progress is.
Maybe a few hours ago you weren’t showered and didn’t eat but now you are…progress. Did you make progress from yesterday? Be proud of yourself. Didn’t cook a meal yesterday and just ate cereal and soup, but cooked eggs today? Progress.
Perfect is such a fallacy and while we know that intellectually I want you to internalize that. I want to internalize that.
If you can show up in a little bit of progress in your parenting, yourself or your marriage — what would you do differently?
Pause and think about what you can actually do to make progress today...even in the next 5 minutes. Drink that glass of water. (The whole thing!) Eat the fruit instead of the chocolate. Hug your child. Look your husband in the eyes.
Progress is a choice. Making small decisions to tend your body and your well-being right now is the fight we can choose. Nearly every day I have the choice to bring up the same conversation with my husband: I need time to myself. Every day I question if it’s worth the hard conversation. Every day it is.
When we move through this to the far side, be it in 30 days, 90 days or 5 years from now, I want to be able to say I made the space for my mental health. I took breathers. I want my kids to see that! I want to write the story that I didn’t lose my mind every day (maybe some days), but I kept showing up for myself so that I could show up for them and Nourish.
This is not EASY and while we can show up and be grateful for this time, you can also think it’s hard and lonely. You can hold all of those feelings at once. Sadness. Gratitude. Grief. Resilience. Pain. Joy. All at once.
That is the hard part: learning how to hold conflicting emotions at the same time. Space: mental clarity is necessary to even begin. A breather could mean writing all those words down that are filling you. It could be an intense workout to let those feelings fall out in your sweat. It could be creating art to move the energy.
And certainly not looking to perfection.
It’s HARD right now. Keep going.
