Am I listening to
my emotions so I
can hear them
or am I listening so
they will quiet down?
Am I listening to
my sadness so it
can speak
or so it will get
out of the way?
Am I "feeling
my feelings“
out of care
or so I can finish
my to-do list?
When we tune into
our emotions with
the sole intention
of silencing them, we
may be repuncturing
wounds.
Imagine a child who is upset.
Imagine the difference in their
experience being approached by
a parent who simply wants them
to stop crying versus a parent
who wants to sit with them so
they don’t have to cry alone.
These parents may even say the
same things:
"What’s wrong?"
"It’s okay"
but the embodied experience is
very different for both the parent
and the child.
How are we approaching ourselves?
It’s not always the
easiest, most
convenient, or most
familiar
but learning to approach
ourselves with
compassion may be the
most rewarding lesson
there is.
(Tyndal Elizabeth Schreiner)
