Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. ~Tony Robbins
This has been an interesting weekend. I am coming home from Denver, after a fabulous weekend of yoga teacher training, with a focus on anatomy. Lots of laughter, lots of learning, and yes, tears. Not uncommon in teacher training, as it is an intensive program, with a lot of Self Inquiry, paired with physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.
But what made this weekend interesting was that it happened over Mothers’ Day. Between missing the three people who call me Mama, the man who helped me make them, and my own Mom, it was tough. I was having a silent little pity party for myself. But all that faded as we started the day yesterday. One student had lost her Mother and this is always a hard time for her. Another young woman has a Mother whom she doesn’t have a relationship with. Still another is a newly single Mother, struggling to figure out her new role. It didn’t seem right to celebrate something that was obviously very painful for half of the people in our circle.
So we cried with those who were struggling. We honored those in the circle who are Mothers. We distracted ourselves with mountains of anatomy learning. And then we celebrated Mother Earth, a Mother to all of us.
In one weekend of bones and muscles and fascia we all learned something important about life. We stepped onto each others’ mats and stepped up for each other. We learned to walk a little more softly around each others’ hearts. We learned that it’s possible to be joyful for those who are celebrating even when we are hurting, and to have empathy for those who are hurting, while being grateful for what we have. We watched ourselves go from belly laughs, to sobs, and back again. And we learned that it’s all ok…in fact, it is life.
Life is a song…sing it. Life is a game…play it. Life is a challenge…meet it. Life is a dream…realize it. Life is a sacrifice…offer it. Life is love…enjoy it. ~Sai Baba
Loved this!!! Thank you for the great reminder that we are all on a different journey. Denise, I especially loved the reference to Mother Earth as a mother to all of us💗
Thank you Janay. She’s a good Mama. So generous. So tireless. So willing to take us back again and again.
I love this Denise!! All of it and it spoke to me particularly as this Mothers Day was my most difficult! My life as a mother and “mimi” as I have know it ended on Saturday night as Sophie and Tristan moved out to live with her boyfriend and begin their life journey together! My heart literally broke apart yesterday and the emptiness and sadness was more than I have maybe ever felt, like this. At the same time, I have never felt so much joy and happiness for them!! They are becoming a family and this has been Sophies dream and hope for 6 years. It has been the hope and dream we have all wanted for them, thus my heart is breaking open with ALL of it! The joy, sadness, gratitude, emptiness and loss, without his laughter, pitter patter of his feet, squeals of excitement, his profound and silly questions and his prana rich plug ins with me:) Oh my here come the tears;(( Yep, this Mothers Day was hard, and it is what it is, and its all ok, and it is life:)I laid down on her and wept my tears into her grass and she held me. She truly holds us in arms of grace! I Love the quote from Sai Baba…..Especially, “Life is love, Enjoy it!” That has been my mantra with that little boy for 6 years and we have ALL indeed “Shared the love of our life” with Sophie and Tristan and have fully enjoyed it! xoxo
My heart is with you Cynthia. This is a big deal for you and your family. I love that you expressed both the joy and the pain wrapped around this transition. You have been such a key person in Tristans’ life, and you will continue to be, because of who you are. <3
Beautiful. This truly resonates with me. My mom has passed on. We loved each other, but we never had a warm & fuzzy relationship; I chose not to have children and it was the right decision for me. However, I sometimes feel a little “off” when everyone is celebrating this special day and wishing me “Happy Mothers Day!”. Fortunately, I have been blessed with many women in my life who have been dear Moms to me and I celebrate them!
I have two dear friends who have lost a beloved mom and a precious daughter within the past six months and it was a bittersweet day for both of them.
Denise, thank you for continually sharing honest and heartfelt sentiments.
Thank you Julie. I don’t know why, but this year I found it a little strange that so many strangers wished me Happy Mothers’ Day. They had no idea if I was a Mother or not. I think we just say the easy thing and we don’t always pause to think how our words may land. I wish you a happy day, every day, just because 😉