Melissa Revelez, ACSW, RYT

I'm so grateful for this place. It's one of my favorite spots on one of my favorite trails. As I took this I was sitting on a bench with an engraving of the well-known quote, Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain. There's something about this quote that brings a smile to my face yet remains unsettling. As tempting as I find it to infer this quote is talking about appreciation and searching for silver linings, I bel...ieve it's diving deeper. What's unsettling is it seems light and fluffy as if dancing in the rain makes it pain and discomfort free. NOPE! Dancing in the storm is consciously embracing the whole experience of pain. Allowing the bitter cold rain to touch your skin. Allowing the whipping winds to toss you off-balance. Consciously and compassionately not changing the big upheavels of our lives, but rather letting them change us. Embracing builds presence, acceptance and resilence. When storms come, go ahead and turn it into a positive as best you can (it's good for you), and also every once and awhile just don't. Acknowledge the pain and hurt without needing it to be different. Lean in. Be there for yourself. Be there WITH yourself.

One of my clients just reminded me about this video. It resonated with her so I'm re-sharing if you're out there afraid that prioritizing yourself makes you a selfish parent.

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