Off Kilter

Jan10

Be there for yourself
But first be there for everyone else

Stress, family crisis, the highs, lows and fears
of those closest to you
Make sure you are “doing” self-care
But be there for them first.

Clean, support, tend-to, cheer-lead
Remember to breathe
But remind them to breathe first.

Express feelings of overwhelmed, frustration, and exhaustion
Do not play martyr or victim.
Express your needs and wants
to the faces that return blank stares
Reminding them that it’s appropriate to insert empathy here.

Try not to push play on the tape of guilt for
also needing support, and rest.
After all, you are the rock
you can keep it together and make sure everyone is okay.

Until you can’t…

Sometimes life is off-kilter.
The balance is skewed and the world seems to spin faster.
You know things will right itself.

It’s the law of nature and impermanence.

As the body electric settles down
I listen to the gentle snores of humans and critters resting
peacefully.

The world has slowed, the simultaneous crises are resolving
and life is finding its natural rhythm for the ones I love.

Where did I drop that oxygen mask?
You know the one that says, “Put on your own oxygen mask before helping others?”
Oh, there it is; it fell off my overloaded plate.

My outer world has been off kilter.
It happens sometimes, it’s temporary, a balance will be restored…life.

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash
Look for my new book, If I Could Tell You How it Feels
on Amazon, Kindle, and other retailers, January 23rd, 2018

20 thoughts on “Off Kilter”

  1. Thanks Susan. Is this a Women/mom thing? Im beginning to think it is.
    And you’re right, mine are good people too. Maybe this is one of those things where women bond over and hear each other when they get frustrated. Works for me 😃

    Like

  2. Oh my gosh, my family tell me all the time how great and wonderful I am… It’s usually at the end of me listening to them release all their concerns and frustrations about their own life and trials. I pause and wait…will they ask how I am doing? No. I hint at it.

    Ah, well… They’re good people

    I guess what I’m saying is, yes, this post, I understand it completely.

    Thank you for the courage to share your story.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Thank you so much! Its amazing how fast we can lose our balance, isnt it. I love the visualization of the precarious balance between self and others. As soon as I read that I instantly saw the image in my mind. ❤️❤️

    Like

  12. It’s a balance isn’t it, self and others? You’ve documented it beautifully. It remains a seesaw until it becomes a conscious One.

    Liked by 1 person

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