Quieting the Inner Bully
A simple phrase that makes all the difference
Today I came across a blog post that made me well up. Noticeably. In public.
Being a stoic New Englander, shedding a visible tear outside the confines of a dark bathroom is the emotional equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. It makes my skin crawl with discomfort. But this was different. But these tears felt important, cathartic. Because I was reading about me…
“Only Love Today”
These three simple words were the culprit of the sniffles coming from behind my computer monitor.
I had never heard of Hands-Free Mama before, but Rachel’s personal account of transforming her overly-scheduled and extremely stressful life to one of openness and self-love moved me.
Her story is painfully familiar. Too much to do, not enough time to do it, a dozen people relying on me for this or that, the adrenaline rush of feeling like a superhero, and a Lynchian undercurrent of resentment and failure.
But Rachel found the courage (or the breaking point) to see this ugly pattern and flip it. With the simple statement, “Only love today” her world began to change. And it changed those around her, too.
In essence, I stumbled upon a read that seemed to have been penned by my inner voice. The voice that wants to come out but doesn't always know how. The voice that consists of a jumble of ideas and thoughts but lacks formed words. So I cried. And it was perfect.
So to you, Rachel of Hands Free Mama, I say thank you. Thank you for helping me quiet the mean girl inside and for encouraging me to be gentle.
