Today, I awoke to the sweet melody of birds singing outside my bedroom window and a sunbeam that cast a glowing, wispy blanket of light across my room, and in that moment I felt thankful and blessed…
Welcome back to our story! It has been awhile since I have written a blog post! I have been busy taking classes. Also, to be completely honest, in addition to coursework I have been trying to find a healthier balance in regards to family, school, volunteer work etc. The good news is that I have found a healthier balance. While on my journey to find calm among the waves of life’s stressors the blog has never been far from my thoughts. There have been days that I have sat down with the intention of writing a blog post only to find that the words eluded me as if they evaporated into the mist of life. Not today! Today, the words flow as I write about one aspect that is central to my being – my home or what I like to call my nest.
When I think of a birds nest I think of the intricate weaving of natures tools such as grass, twigs and leaves or perhaps even mud or rocks depending on the species, ultimately culminating in a place called home…a place to raise a family…my nest just happens to consist of 2 x 4′s, siding, windows, a roof and doors…and in a nest, whether it be a bird’s nest, a rabbit’s nest or even my nest, an infinite number of experiences occur and reoccur sometimes with a gentle calm…like a bright, sunny, warm day with a slight breeze touching you as it highlights your presence…sometimes with great turbulence…like a wind so strong attempting to disrupt the life within, sometimes with pain…like death or illness that swoops down and takes our breath away and other times with great joy and happiness…like the birth of a new little one…and depending on the tools we have in our nest we may cope by responding with fear and other-times we may cope with an abundance of grace. To help me face life’s challenges that exist both within and beyond my nest I have some tools that have helped me and those I love dearly that I would love to share, sing and echo beyond my little nest I call home.
Of all the tools that exist in our nest none is greater than love. In our nest there exists an infinite abundance of love for one another, ourselves individually, our beautiful family and friends and those we see in passing AND those special little ones to come and those that have left or transcended life here on earth. Love…it really is the tie that binds! Within love their exists such infinite potential for strength, healing, forgiveness and growth!
What is so exciting and empowering is that beyond our many tools within our personal nest’s there exists within our grasp other tools to support us no matter the challenges we face. What are these tools and where can we find them? For me I realized last night, as I headed to class, that our tools consist of resources beyond our immediate support system. As I packed my bag for class I noticed that I had several pamphlets and a special book nearby. I decided in that instance to take them with me since the topic discussed in class specifically pertained to those resources I had laying there on my desk. So I gathered my resources, packed them in my bag along with my class textbook and binder and with great purpose headed out the door. Ultimately, I was blessed with the opportunity to share those resources with my instructor and peers. And at the end of class, as I walked to my Jeep, I realized how important these resources have been in helping me and my family to heal as we have journeyed together down a sometimes rocky path. The resources I speak of have helped to provide a balance and much needed support during those times when we felt alone and were in a great deal of emotional pain. They have become an integral part of our nest and have become key tools to the creation of our nest being as healthy as it can be. In closing, I will list the organizations that I shared with the class and that are dedicated to helping and supporting YOU as well no matter your challenges. They are here with you and for you! May we all continue learning about new resources that may potentially help us in times of turbulence and may we continue to add those tools to our own, unique and beautiful nests…
Now…the only question that remains is… “What’s in your nest?”
Growing stronger…
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National Alliance on Mental Illness : NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nations largest nonprofit, grassroots mental health education, advocacy and support organization dedicate…
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The Karla Smith Foundation : Karla Smith Foundation supports families affected by mental illness and suicide. KSF aids in mental health awareness by providing mental health resources…
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : Helps individuals in suicidal crisis to contact the nearest available suicide prevention and mental health service provider through a toll-free phone number…1-800-273-TALK (8255)
