Courage Counseling LLC

This is your annual reminder to be gentle with yourself and others this weekend. Mother’s Day is a complicated holiday.
For some folks it a day of joy and love and celebration.
So many people have a mother or are a mother it is hard to make it special for all the moms.
It can be a sensitive day with Big emotions.
Not everybody gets to have a loving and compassionate Mom.
Please be kind. I have too many friends who have mothers who died, friends who want to get to be a parent and they are childless, friends who had awful mothers, friends who are astranged from parents or children, and friends who accepted the duty of parenthood with no joy. Some people have too great of a physical distance to celebrate together and it makes them feel alone. There are many factors that can make Mother’s Day rough. Be thoughtful and offer love where you can. If you can make an extra phone call to tell someone you love them, do it.
Thank you to all the people who do some thoughtful mothering. 💖

It’s ok to release it now. Marie Kondo says that sometimes the job of a gift is to be a gift and once it has been given, its job is done. 🎁If it’s done its job it’s OK to let it go.
Did you get a fancy box of hot cocoa mix but you don’t like hot beverages? Did you get peanut brittle in the office gift exchange and you’re allergic to peanuts? Did you get that nougat candy and you have dentures? You don’t have to leave it in the back of your cupboard until it’s best by date has passed. You can give that to a food pantry now.
Did somebody very lovingly give you a pair of socks with your favorite cartoon character but the texture is all wrong and the seams bother your toes? That person does not want you to live with clutter and somebody else could be enjoying those socks now.
Did you get a beautiful warm fuzzy sweater but you haven’t worn a sweater in years because menopause? That sweater could be keeping somebody else warm now.
You don’t have to wait. If anything for any reason is something you won’t use you can let it go now. I don’t want you to be burdened with storing, and dusting, and organzing, and being responsible for things you can’t or don’t want to use. Do your friends and family want you to be burdened with clutter?
Do a google search to see where items can be donated in a way that is easy for you. I typically bring food donations to the Willie Street Co-op North because I’m going there anyway.

Be gentle with yourself.

Very good advice from the wise J.S. Park