May 27--Chew Thoroughly

Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself, even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will. --Cheryl Strayed

     Whatever has transpired in my life up to now has brought me to this point. If I am content with myself, it is fairly easy to say that even though there may have been tough (rotten) times, it took all of life's experiences to make me this person of today. If I am not content with myself, that indicates that there is some part of me or my experiences that I am rejecting. That in itself is some nurturing guidance. Being human, I would say that I am content with myself about 95% of the time. There's still nurturing work to be done. That means I'm still alive, for which I'm thankful!
     We humans have such a strong inclination to avoid negative or painful situations. I'll bet, however, that as you reflect on your life, the roughest spots had some of the biggest impacts in terms of growth and nurturing your spirit. Grieving the deaths of close family members has made me stronger. Yoga teacher training nearly did me in, it felt "impossible to swallow," but I did, and it was one of the most rewarding things I ever did. It's continues to reward me many years later.
     I am joyfully hopeful that the current pandemic situation will make us all stronger, wiser, more considerate and more compassionate humans, if we let it nurture us, rather than resisting.
     Chewing thoroughly makes swallowing easier,
             Leta