Gathering Your Tentacles
This week in our Rare Family Dynamics workshop we talked about what it means to be an advocate for your Rare child. How can you stay connected and nourish yourself as you advocate for your child? Let’s face it, it’s not easy.
When your child first gets diagnosed, you will likely feel overwhelmed and any thought of taking care of yourself goes by the wayside. You are just trying to survive and find a way to support your child.
Tend to yourself
It is so important to build your inner resources. The more you are able to connect to yourself, the easier it will be to return regularly to this place of silent solace that lives within you. Tend to yourself by:
* Taking a walk, meditating for a few minutes, sipping a cup of hot tea and looking out the window, reading a good book or just closing your eyes and taking a power nap.
Enoughness
You are enough. You are doing enough. There is enough to go around. If you are feeling overwhelmed or distraught, do your best to tap into an abundance mindset. Tell yourself that there is enough time (even though you will not get everything on your list done in a day.)
What it takes is to make a decision that what you are doing is enough. Pull in your tentacles which represent your thoughts about doing so many things. Turn your attention toward yourself.
You are worth it
You deserve to receive your own attention and the time you take for yourself is an investment in your whole life. Say to yourself, “I’m worth it too.”
Take time for yourself every day. If you make a time to exercise or perhaps share a meal with someone, keep this appointment. If you had an appointment with a doctor or your therapist, you would show up. Do this with yourself. By doing this, you are advocating for yourself. The first thing is to take care of your mind, body and soul. It will give you the strength to fight for your child’s care.
Practice self-care from the start. It is best not to wait until you are in a crisis.
It takes a lot of strength as a raregiver to advocate for your kids. You need support. Please come to these meetings. As raregivers, we lighten one another’s load. This past week half of the people in the meeting were only there for a portion of the time.
Drop in for 20 minutes if that is all you have. Come and be held and supported.
Coming up this week: Acceptance of What Is -- Impact on partners and older and younger siblings
We will discuss the different stages of acceptance you go through in a Rare family. A diagnosis impacts the adults in the family as well as older and younger siblings. The entire structure of your family changes in an instant and there is a lot to accept and integrate. Join us for a powerful conversation with other Rare family members. All siblings age 16 and older are welcome to join this group along with extended family.
You Belong Here
This group is open to all raregivers regardless of gender or relationship status. Join our amazing community of raregivers who get you. Come be seen, heard and deeply understood. Let the community hold you. We meet on Tuesdays at 10am PT. Come as you are. Your presence is a contribution.
Zoom Link: Click Here
We look forward to being with you soon.
Warmly,
Padma
