Happy New Year’s, friends!
I realize my new year greetings are a little late, however January has unfolded much differently than I could have imagined!
Late in December my mom was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and since then she’s been dealing with on and off flare ups that can leave her pretty debilitated. We’re currently in the midst of meetings with a lot doctors and holistic practitioners to find a course of action that can hopefully alleviate the pain and minimize her flare ups. It’s really hard seeing a parent age. When she’s not feeling well, I don’t feel well. We are definitely connected.
As I mentioned back in December, I did my annual collage and my theme for 2019 is CHANGE + SELF-LOVE. And boy has 2019 delivered unending opportunities to practice these two things already :)!
This month I’m feeling CHANGE through my role and relationship with my mom. She has sacrificed and done so much her whole life so that my sister and I could have a great education, upbringing and constant support. And now it’s our turn to take care of her and help her weather this time. I’m learning that this requires reprioritizing my schedule, to do lists and expectations I have of myself.
And that’s where the SELF LOVE comes in. Self-love is not not an easy thing and definitely a topic I feel takes a on-going lifetime of cultivation. When I say self-love I’m not talking about bolstering my ego or becoming self-absorbed. I’m talking about simply being gentle with myself like I would with a dear friend. Sounds easy enough on the surface, but when CHANGE kicks in or I make a mistake, forget something important, not make the right decision….it’s easy to let fear, doubts and insecurities take over. Instead I want to navigate change with grace.
I know deep down, that we are all human and none of us are perfect. And how I choose to respond in these situations is largely in my hands. So my newest painting, Angel- Gentle Love is a reminder to be gentle with ourselves as we navigate through the ebbs and flows of life. So that instead of giving strength to fears, doubts and insecurities, we move towards cultivating more love, compassion and kindness to ourselves so that ultimately we can do the same for those around us.
Do you have a word / theme / mantra for the year?
If yes, I’d love to hear your intentions below…..
And, if you need a little help putting words and intentions to your year, be sure to check out my newest prints! Each is tucked with a different dose of inspiration to inspire you all year long!
xo,
Kajal
