Same for Ourselves

Stuck in the midst of a hectic time #prettymuchallday, shoulders tensed, to-do list looming, fingers racing across the keyboard when the phone lights up with the image of your dearest friend as she calls. In a flash, you’re immersed in the memory of the day that pic was taken, but you snap out of it, drop all the must-do-nows and answer the call. She needs you. She’s your best friend and she needs you to listen. Fully presenced, you listen as she relays her tale. She finishes. You ask for more info about the details, her wellbeing, her state of mind, her responses, her needs, her next action steps. You listen and reflect until, together, you’ve processed the information and, with confidence, she knows her next best step. The connection amplifies us. The cord that unifies us is woven with our best traits, strongest will, highest potentials, presence of mind, and love.

Just as we are fully presenced to the needs of our dearest friend, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as we are willing to drop everything to lace our fingers and boost our dearest friend, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as we show up 10-feet tall in Athena strength and wisdom for our dearest friend, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as we sit with the pain of our dearest friend, in silent comfort, until it eases, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as we love our dearest friend with the fierceness of a mama bear, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as we value the radical enough-ness of our dearest friend, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves?

Just as our eyes and heart are drawn to the inner beauty of our dearest friend and her radiating essence qualities, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves? 

Just as we roll out the welcome mat to create a space for our dearest friend to be authentically herself, couldn’t we do the same for ourselves? 

How would life move from survive to thrive?

And, why not? (That’s a trick question. It has no good answer.)

(Replace “friend” with partner, sister, mother, child… whoever is your dearest.)