I’m borrowing these questions from Dominic Barter who developed Restorative Circles (with a capital R and a capital C) in the favelas of Brazil. I have used them in classes and I used variations of them in my most recent class for Pace e Bene. There is power in these questions. Your answers are a gift to everyone reading.
1. My solitude, which generates somatic joy. Like, things get quiet enough that I can smell the air and sense the roots of my hair. My husband was working from home for months, and I missed being alone. My parenting feels solid. Even when things are hard, I'm unsurprised.
2. I worry about the slow growth of my business. Feel a lot of uncertainty and seek validation. My jaw hurts. My son just told me that he's starting a cult. Which could be okay I guess?
3. I wish my mom had more financial stability and fewer emotional hooks in me. I wish we had money to travel as a family before it is too late. I wish my husband's health was better. I wish more people would come to yoga.
There's a lot going well, really. Parenting specific - I have the most delicious conversations with my nine year old. I love his insight, his humor (he laughs at my jokes), and his understanding and astuteness of other people. Dang.
2. My health.
And parenting-wise, I have developed a very strong aversion to lots of noise and multiple people talking to me at once and to being interrupted when I am doing anything. It's super hard. I am wearing my ear defenders A LOT.
3. *Cynical chuckle*
I want more. More time, more patience, more love, more lovingness, more presence (as I sit here writing while son is in the room).
And I want to be able to trust, in a lot of things.
1. My solitude, which generates somatic joy. Like, things get quiet enough that I can smell the air and sense the roots of my hair. My husband was working from home for months, and I missed being alone. My parenting feels solid. Even when things are hard, I'm unsurprised.
2. I worry about the slow growth of my business. Feel a lot of uncertainty and seek validation. My jaw hurts. My son just told me that he's starting a cult. Which could be okay I guess?
3. I wish my mom had more financial stability and fewer emotional hooks in me. I wish we had money to travel as a family before it is too late. I wish my husband's health was better. I wish more people would come to yoga.
1. Ummm, the garden? Does that count?
There's a lot going well, really. Parenting specific - I have the most delicious conversations with my nine year old. I love his insight, his humor (he laughs at my jokes), and his understanding and astuteness of other people. Dang.
2. My health.
And parenting-wise, I have developed a very strong aversion to lots of noise and multiple people talking to me at once and to being interrupted when I am doing anything. It's super hard. I am wearing my ear defenders A LOT.
3. *Cynical chuckle*
I want more. More time, more patience, more love, more lovingness, more presence (as I sit here writing while son is in the room).
And I want to be able to trust, in a lot of things.