Greetings to YOU and a Huge, Warm Mother's Day Welcome to our new Subscribers!

I invite you to take a deep breath and carve out a quick minute to complete this sentence:  "When I think of Mother's Day, I think of __________and feel __________. (Hint: You may want to write it out at the top of a blank sheet of paper so you can capture the thoughts and feelings that rise up.)  

Don't be surprised if you have many different thoughts and a flood of emotions that come with them.  When I did this exercise I first thought of my own mom, a strong woman with a huge heart who raised 5 feisty kids practically on her own, (with 4 of them only 1 year apart) working nights as a nurse so she could be there for us.  As I look back I don't know how she managed to accomplish so much, and even in the face of pretty challenging circumstances she never even went on strike or tried to resign her position!  For this I am grateful & inspired to always give my best to those I love.

My second thought was of being a mom; the joy of watching my 14 yr old son, fishing pole in hand doing what he loves most...the excitement of seeing my 5 yr old daughter come alive in the swimming pool...how blessed I am to be their mom.  For this I feel very lucky.

Then I thought about a friend who recently lost her mother and is deeply grieving.  For this I feel compassion and empathy.

Next my thoughts turned to the 5 babies that I've lost through miscarriage without ever getting to know them... Looking back I was confused and angry, but what I remember most is with each loss trying to wade through more sadness than I ever thought was possible.  For this I feel called to share my experience and be a beacon of hope and healing for other women.

Now it's your turn.  How will you finish the sentence? ("When I think of Mother's Day, I think of __________and feel __________).  Once you've done this, I encourage you to take action on your thoughts and feelings, whatever they may be.  For example, doing this exercise has prompted me to take the following actions, for which you are welcome to hold me accountable: 

1. Call my mom in a spirit of gratitude and tell her I love her.
2. Share with my kids how blessed I feel to be their mom and tell them that I love them.
3. Invite my friend who just lost her mom for coffee or a walk; to be there in whatever way would help her.
4. Offer a Hand of friendship.  If you've experienced miscarriage or loss of a child I'm inviting you to join me for "A Time to Heal" on Sunday, May 22nd.  And please forward this newsletter to your friend or family member.  It's my belief that we are not meant to do this alone.

In closing, I wish you a Wonderful Mother's Day, and please take time to let me know your thoughts and what actions this issue has inspired you to take, OK?

Warmly,

Christina 

p.s. Did you know the word Emotion means "Energy in Motion"?  It's important to move through our negative feelings and find a way to be stronger as a result of our struggles.  (That's why I'm always encouraging you to take action).  If you feel stuck and want to find Freedom by learning to move through adversity with grace and ease, please feel free to contact me for a complimentary session to see how resilience coaching may benefit you or someone you love.