the kids are right
7 year old Ruthie stands beside the kitchen table and whines,
“ughhh… does anyone know how to get rid of growing pains?”
She cringes as she dramatically doubles over and presses her fingertips up and down her left foot in slow, dragging strokes.
“DUHHHHHHH….” bellows our clearly youngest child, Nora,
“Just WAIT for it to go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
huh.
Ruthie is on to something. Growing pains can suck at any age. As a child, she feels the stress and strain on her tissue as it expands. As adults, we feel the stress and strain on our hearts and minds as they expand.
And Nora is on to something too. Waiting is quite the life skill.
As I look at my own life, I breathe into the growing pains.
As I look into my family of birth, I breathe into the growing pains.
As I look into the interwoven mess of our country, I breathe into the growing pains.
As I look into the collective learning of our world, I breathe into the growing pains.
Sometimes growing pains just are. So we lean in as humans. And we love in. And we look to one another (when we remember that we aren’t alone). And we take two steps forward and fall one step backward.
Growing pains.
Man, they can hurt.
If you need a break from some of these growing pains, click here for a 5 minute downshift into stillness with breath. No specialty props or clothes needed (I do this one in my long dress for this hot summer day). Just grab a chair for your calves to rest upon and a folded towel or blanket for your head.
For just a moment, let’s get quiet and see what awaits.
Take good care,
Rachel