My Sweet Soul

Hello friends,

Last weekend I went for a hike with an ex-coworker. We had been wanting to get together for nearly a year, and finally all the stars and schedules aligned and we made it happen. We were always friendly but never particularly close, but I knew she appreciated plain-speaking, so in my text setting up the time-and-place I said, “I have one ground rule – I cannot talk about the election. It did not go the way I had hoped and I’m still grieving.” She replied, in part, “Am in agreement that no talk is good. I don’t want to be in denial, but going over it isn’t healthy for my sweet soul.”

I love that phrase “my sweet soul” – it implies a love and concern for oneself that necessitates loving care and protection. I have been taking care of my own sweet soul lately. The biggest thing I have done is to pull away from all coverage of current events. On election night I could see the direction things were going in, and on Wednesday morning texts from friends seemed to confirm my fears. From that moment on I have refused to look at any news coverage of this country or the world. I could not bring myself to see any of it in writing, to watch any of it unfold. I’m not in denial. I know what is happening. I’m just not going to bear witness to it. As someone who checked my NPR news app several times a day and prided myself on scoring at least 7 out of 10 on their weekly news quiz, this is a big change for me.

I’m tending to myself. I’m eating really healthily. I’m reading (loved “We Solve Murders” by Richard Osman and “How to Age Disgracefully” by Clare Pooley). I bought myself two new jigsaw puzzles and always have one going. I’m spending a lot of time taking photos and editing them. I’ve decided that I’m going to wear sneakers to work for the rest of 2024. I’m prioritizing comfort. I’m listening to a lot of music (have discovered the beautiful music of Nick Drake, and often fall asleep to his album “Pink Moon”). I have a “Serenity” playlist on my Apple Music that I listen to instead of office chatter when I’m not working from home. I took advantage of a 50%-off early Black Friday sale to sign up for a year’s worth of the meditation app Headspace.

What are you doing to take care of your own sweet soul?

Have a gentle week.

Love,

Michelle xoxo