WEAR YOUR RAINCOAT
The mayfly only lives one day. And sometimes it rains -George Carlin
It was my favorite quote for most of my life. I never knew I’d feel like the mayfly one day though. I grew up in a very normal home with married parents. I had no worries and hardly ever anything to be upset about. As life went on things got harder, I went through things I never expected. My parents divorced, my dad was diagnosed with melanoma, I lost babies, had preemie twins, spent way too much time in the hospital and NICU, lost my dog (child) in a horrific pit bull attack, then ended up finding out my brother had an incurable brain tumor the size of a softball that eventually took his life.
In the midst of Nate’s fight against brain cancer, my husband got a job offer across the country that was too good to pass up. He left in November 2018 to go ahead and start. I worked my busiest season, as a single parent, while I packed our house, and spent every free moment I had with my brother. I look back now and see how much God carried me through. I absolutely couldn’t do it alone.
Fast forward to now... we joined Cal in Seattle about 2 months after my brother died. I’d be lying to say things have been any easier emotionally since we got here....honestly, life is a bitch. Not long after moving here, a suicide jumper landed below our bedroom after a 28 story jump. It took me back to a dark place. I was getting panic attacks at night. I would wake up every morning and look out making sure it hadn’t happened again.
I’ve come A LONG way in Seattle. Most of my life I liked to camp out in the victim mindset... everything was always the worst & nothing seemed fixable. I’ve been dealing with some of the absolute hardest parts of my life here with practically no support system and what it’s taught me is.... WEAR YOUR RAINCOAT. What I mean is no one’s life is sunshine all the time... it’s going to rain. What is YOUR raincoat? I think it was Nora Mcinerny that said “everyone around your thanksgiving table is going to die.” We need to be ready to deal with the rain and your mindset can make or break you. That rain may be deaths, divorce, bankruptcy, addiction, spouses that fail you, or friends that you learn were never really friends at all. God made our brains able to be re-wired and healed.
“Don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve of what’s God will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
My raincoat has become my afternoon workout. I turn on my music, walk/run, lift weights, pray, think, and PROCESS. Its only an hour but it’s HEALING. Make your time to heal! Our bodies were made to feel the emotion, reflect on it, and then release it. When we don’t release emotions, they can turn into physical manifestations.... actual aches, pains, diseases, etc. I also use my oils to help me process and they’re life changing! Find what works for you! And spoiler alert: it might not be something you thought you’d enjoy. There’s not a SINGLE day that I want to go up to workout. I actually dread it all day. But afterword, I am so thankful I did it. Give yourself time in each day and make it a priority.
If you’re into learning more about healing yourself from the inside out, check out “Heal” on Netflix and also the book “Switch on Your Brain” by Dr. Caroline Leaf.
Life will rain on you, make sure you wear your raincoat.
Xoxo- Hannah
