Today, I struggled with my mood and kept checking in to see how I could help myself. Strategies of: one thing at a time, soft breath, look at beauty, and still I felt shaky unrest. Now, to put it in context, I am down in the USA for medical care and I so miss my home base, however, what to do? I reached into my grab bag of self regulation skills and found “Give to another.” Thus, I spent four hours driving around Longmont, my old hometown, and found many of these little lending libraries. I felt like Santa Claus putting new books in a bunch, and thought, “Oh, won’t it be wonderful if even one child has an easier time wearing a mask tomorrow.”
Mission accomplished. Did I felt incredibly better? No. Did I spend some hours hoping to make this small corner of the world a little softer, a little kinder, a little more supportive? YES! So, I reached the end of the day, still a little sad, still a little restless, and yet I had a small smile inside. Take away: when you are really, really struggling – help someone else. It is a win-win. Dr. Kimberly