Setbacks = Ebb and Flow

It’s been a particularly rough week for me. The upswing of last week led to a pretty epic crash.

It started with my husband being called away for business on very short notice. Well, we knew the possibility was coming, just not exactly when. Ultimately, this is a very positive thing, as it will bring more financial abundance into our home. However, it also created a bit of a resource crunch in the short term.

cry to relieve stressWith resources – both time and money – at a premium, I found myself falling into overwhelm very quickly.

There was no one big thing that tipped me over the edge. It was a mountain of little things – work, school, children, budget, car troubles, Halloween costumes, meal planning, after-school and -work commitments and no husband to help sort out the details. All of a sudden I couldn’t deal with it.

I spent a day in tears. I cried about nothing and everything. Maybe that’s exactly what I needed.

I’ve been a single parent before while my husband has been away for work. I have the utmost respect for those who are single parents all the time. Every time he’s away makes me appreciate all the things he does when he is here.

On Halloween night (Samhain for Wiccans), I found out that the leader and founder of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (and one of my mentors) passed away. His health had been declining for quite some time, so it really wasn’t a great shock. And still, it added to the stress levels.

On Saturday, the brakes on my car died. Thankfully, I made it home safely. And I have a friend who is helping with the repairs, and another who is lending me her car while mine is getting repaired. Overall, I am really blessed, and the challenges still add to the stress.

It’s a challenging time of year – moving into the darkness. This year autumn has been more challenging for me than many in the past. I don’t know how I would get through it without meditation and my spiritual practice. I’ve also been doing a lot of deep breathing. And I’m going to talk to my naturopath about my health to see if there are other imbalances caused by the stress levels.

What have you found to be your best help with overcoming the ebb and flow of stress?

Blessings,

Mary