Me, myself and I dates is something I aim for. Firstly, I want to start of with this beautiful poem which was part of my daughter’s homework, a little while ago. I had to explain it to her, as it was a bit difficult to comprehend for a 9 year old. But it’s so beautiful and once she understood it, she loved it.
You and I
Only one I in the whole wide world
And millions and millions of you,
But every you is an I to itself
And I am a you to you, too!
But if I am a you and you are an I
And the opposite also is true,
It makes us both the same somehow
Yet splits us each in two.
It’s more and more mysterious,
The more I think it through:
Every you everywhere in the world is an I;
Every I in the world is a you!
By Mary Ann Hoberman
From: MY SONG IS BEAUTIFUL (Little, Brown and Co., 1994)
Once a week or once every two weeks, I try go out for a breakfast date for one. Something I have learned over the past year or so, is to take care of myself. And honestly, it’s a job done by oneself for oneself. It’s not something someone else can do for you.
What makes this poem so special, which might seem a bit off topic, is a place of acceptance. Accepting myself for who I am and knowing that, yes, I’m different to the next person next to me. And that is OK. In fact, it is great to be different. Even more reason to love and appreciate myself and take care of myself. To find a moment out of the rush of every week. A breakfast date to just connect with myself, appreciate myself and just enjoy that moment. Its also a great time to reflect. BUT, be gentle with myself. Its not a time out or detention. It’s a moment of appreciation and reflection. Where have I been, where am I now. And where do I still want to go. And pat yourself on the back for those small steps of progress. All those small steps combined, make big leaps of progress.
For the moms reading this, make time for yourself and do it guilt free. It does not need to be a week away (and I know that sometimes you feel that is what you need). Its an hour or two. Going for a walk or run in a park. Or like I prefer, a breakfast date for one. Or perhaps even an massage, but in silence so you have time to hear your own thoughts. Time to just process them.
Take time for yourself, cause you are beautiful!
