Today’s post could be titled Being Love, Part 2. As I allowed love to guide me yesterday, I came across a wonderful post by another blogger, Allison Kenny. Her article was titled “If I Took Care of Myself Like I Take Care of my Daughter…”. Allison lists the ways she would care for herself if she had the same level of love and care for herself as she does for her child. I was captivated.
Read Allison Kenny’s post here.
At the end of Allison’s post, she asks,
If you took care of yourself like you do your daughter…what might you do?
I took that question seriously, and I’ve thought about it since yesterday. I have two beautiful daughters, a beautiful daughter-in-law and a beautiful granddaughter. I also have a handsome son, two handsome son-in-laws (Nate Pugh will be the second one soon), and four handsome grandsons. I know the level of love and care that I show to them all. For this time of reflection, I chose to change Allison’s phrase slightly, and run with it.
If I took care of myself like I take care of my grandchildren I would…
play more
be totally myself
tell myself “you are kind, you are smart, you are important”
put on a leotard and a tutu and dance my heart out
sing my favorite song as loudly as I can
wear my favorite color more
If I took care of myself like I do my grandchildren I would…
absolutely believe that I cannot fail
cheer for myself
be present by spending time with myself
encourage myself to be okay with my best efforts
celebrate my successes
cry when I’m disappointed or sad
If I took care of myself like I do my grandchildren I would…
splurge on myself
buy yummy treats after a long day
have dessert before dinner sometimes
play in the mud and enjoy it
hug and kiss with abandon
accept myself exactly as I am
If I took care of myself like I do my grandchildren I would…
take walks through the neighborhood
enjoy a bubble bath
play a new video game
say “I love you” so, so many times
say yes to myself a whole lot more than I say no
not be afraid to ask for what I want
If I took care of myself like I do my grandchildren I would…
paint each toenail a different color
sleep with a cuddly stuffed animal
binge watch a new show
pretend
tell jokes
say frequently to myself, with great enthusiasm as I attempt new things, “Oh WOW!” (Bit of an inside family joke 😃)
This was such a heart opening experience. And now, it’s your turn.
If you took care of yourself like you take care of your daughter (son, grandchild, lover, pet, nephew, niece)…what would you do?
