In an episode of On Being, a radio show and podcast hosted by Krista Tippett, interviewer Lily Percy asked writer and teacher Alex Elle what the word “self-care” meant for her. Elle replied, “What it means to me is showing up for myself so that I could show up for other people.”
I want to show up for other people. But first I must show up for me. Even when I cannot afford what our current consumer self-care culture tells me I need, I can remember and claim my own God-given loving abilities for caring for myself. I can show up for me by integrating and noticing seemingly simple, daily acts of self-care that are not planned, yet are available. Such small moments of rejuvenation would be missed in a hurried schedule.
Moments like: A hug. A quiet sip of tea. Gazing at the sky. Pages read in a book. The smell of fruit in a bowl.
I welcome these moments. I embrace each moment as a gift that grounds me in God’s love, growing my empathy, compassion, and love for myself and others.
This message is excerpted from “Simple moments of self-care” by Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez in the January/February 2022 Gather magazine.
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