What do you believe?

So... I told you that my boys were away with their dad for 5 weeks this summer... crazy to have that much time, right?

Life got intense for a bit both during their absence and after their return, and I've been distilling the key gems from it all to share with you.

Now, nothing terrible happened ~ nobody was hurt and there were no losses, except the lessening of my own anger, frustration and overwhelm. The loss of these, certainly.

Of course at first, when the boys returned from their time away, all the hard stuff seemed to double. I was challenged to hold my ground, to commit (with all evidence to the contrary) to knowing that all of the work I'm doing is making a difference in my relationships with my kids, and in my experience of parenting overall.

And, as I held to my belief, wouldn't you know that after a couple of weeks not only did things smooth out, but they're better than they've been yet. Ever. 

Are they perfect? No, but I no longer expect them to be. And this is what I so dearly wish to share with you...

... that your own experience with frustration can diminish; the flare of your angercan be calmed; the challenges that present themselves in your parenting (and in your life) can absolutely be changed, your experience completely shifted.

I was so deeply touched by my experiences of this summer, I've been struggling to put them into words for you ~ waiting for the right moment. Turns out there is no right moment, but over time I'll share insights and ideas that have come out of this extraordinary time.

For today, I offer (and ask) you this:

Find a time to be alone, for just 3-5 minutes. Get quiet, get grounded, and send yourself these questions...

• Do I feel ease and joy with my children and in my life?
• If not, do I believe it's possible?
• If it doesn't seem possible, can I suspend disbelief? Can I get to a place of imagining what might be? 

You don't have to know how. If you can believe it, you can get there. 

I assure you, as one who would never have believed it possible, it totally is. Are you willing to believe? Are you ready to make it happen?

Sending you so much love.
xoNatanya