This is not a chirpy blog post about how now is the time to get all your long ignored tasks done nor is it a blog post cheerleading now is a time to go to bed until the quarantine is lifted.
This is a blog post that offers you permission to feel whatever you are feeling – and sometimes you may crawl into bed for the day and some days you may get more done in two hours than you did in the last month.
If you look into my recent blog archives you will see it has been a topsy-turvy time for me. I have been angry, I have been sad, I have been excited at times to the point of exhilaration, but mostly I have felt a strong sense of compassion and love and hope hasn’t yet evaporated completely.
Yesterday on Instagram I declared April my month to “Nurture Love for One Another Through Creative Acts of Lovingkindness and Grace.”
I made this (to some seemingly wild) proclamation after I realized how the people who have been participating in the Daily Virtual Coffee Dates I’m holding on Zoom. These provide a given time to show up on the days people are available and would benefit from “being” with other people for Intentional, Connected Conversation.
The format is simple: we meet at 1:30 PM Pacific Time daily. At 1:30 we start with introductions – each person sharing their name, where they are “zooming from” geographically, and a simple question that immediately points to similarities between us.
Next, a topic is introduced and we talk about it – each person is given a chance to speak, or not. Each person may show their faces on camera – or not. We laugh and joke and talk with depth and lightness. It is like sitting around a table in a café, sharing ourselves – only we are in a zoom room and may be in Bakersfield, across the US or Canada or even in Europe.
I started this as an experiment. I gave it a week – and then extended it and will continue extending it until people stop wanting to join the conversation or the quarantine ends.
One of the members said, “Even when I am not here with you, it feels comforting knowing you are out there, meeting.”
A member from Sweden said, “We meet around my bedtime, so tonight I thought, ‘Let’s see what they’re talking about today! I was so excited to visit right before my bedtime. I realized, you are all my new friends!”
Overnight one of our members lost a friend to COVID-19 which I imagine will happen more as the disease reaches out, more deeply.
This unlikely space in a Zoom Room is a comforting space for people to be themselves – however they show up – and know lovingkindness, grace and gratitude are waiting.
You are welcome to join us, too. Simply click here to register (the sessions are free.)
Other ways I will Nuture Love in April is by blogging inspiring and true content daily, sharing writing prompts on Instagram,twitter and in my Facebook Writing Group (The Word-Love Writing Community) and Bridge to the New Year – A Personal Growth Group on Facebook.
I will Nurture Love in myself by writing daily, whether that is jotting notes in my notebook, writing poetry, continuing with my daily haiku and taking photos of my daily walks are all ways I am actively able to feel better – as much as I can – and here on my Creative Life Midwife Blog is where you will continue to see evidence of that, daily.
Question: How are you nurturing love for yourself daily?
If you haven’t been nurturing love for yourself lately, what is one tiny way you might do so starting today?
Hint: start with brainstorming a list. Maybe you will include purposefully drinking more water, maybe it will be making your bed every morning when you get out of it, maybe it will be curling your hair or putting on an outfit that makes you feel attractive. Maybe you will journal one sentence today or one paragraph or write a letter to yourself remembering happy moments from the past.
Please know this: you have read this far so I believe something has called you here. Please accept this offer to love yourself with grace, with intentional kindness just a little bit more than you did yesterday.
Build on your intentional kindness toward yourself daily, bit by bit.
I believe in you.
*****
Julie JordanScott is the Creative Life Midwife. She inspires people to live their life as an artform and then take action towards their best results. Her specialty is writing – her easiest way to express what she does is this: She Coaches. You Write. Your Readers Win! During the 2020 Pandemic she is also leading daily Virtual Coffee Dates, Facilitating Intentional Conversation so people will feel less isolated during this time of social and physical distancing. Follow her across social media to stay informed.
Good to see you again, Julie! And what a wonderful idea to host a gathering. I like, too, that you encourage us to feel whatever we are feeling. And give ourselves permission not to get things done, from time to time, if that happens.
Ahhhh — like minds! 🙂 I look forward to your clothing posts. Today I was in the Zoom room in cleverly disguided… pajamas! Such a no-no!
A beautiful post! So nice to see you again doing the UBC. I definitely need to show myself more kindness. Lately, I’ve been doing that by allowing myself time to sit with a book and read. I love to read and typically it is the last thing on my list of priorities. Feels so good to make myself a priority for a change.
Also, I did my book club as a zoom meeting last month. It was a little confusing as we tried to not all talk at once. Your coffee hour sounds amazing! Maybe I’ll try it sometime.
I hope you will try the coffee conversations – they are a good way to practice on Zoom, too! I am the host and the “curator” of sorts. My book club also met on Zoom this past weekend. Today I bought the new book selection. We’re reading the new one by Glennon Doyle.
I feel it is so important for us to allow people to feel their feelings right now. Obviously health comes first, but that doesn’t diminish the mourning over events that can’t be gotten back. It’s ok to be sad. It’s ok to be scared or anxious. It’s ok to not be ok and happy during this season.
Exactly. We need to be compassionate with others – and with ourselves.
Nice to meet you!
Great to meet you, too!
Thanks Julie! Really enjoying the Coffee Breaks!
I’m so grateful you are with us for our conversations!
love that idea of daily virtual coffee.. we had a zoom family reunion and it was so much fun that we plan to do it more regularly, but doing something like this daily coffee is wonderful..
Hooray! I hope to see you for Virtual Coffee soon! 🙂 you are always welcome!