Life Among the Tulips: Exploring New Worlds Without My Mom

As my mom’s Alzheimer’s progresses, and I’m faced with the loneliness of our visits, I’m reflecting on lessons she’s taught me about acceptance, and trying to stay present with her in these transformative moments in our lives. My mom’s love and nonjudgmental acceptance have prepared me to handle this long goodbye, and while it hurts, somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I will be alright. I am my mother’s daughter; she taught me through her gentle lessons to know my resilient self.

I hope this episode offers you a new perspective on handling loss and grief, sadness, and unwelcome change. I’m exploring new worlds without my mom (as I once knew her), ones with strange, rigid tulips, desolate Sunday mornings, and premonitions that foreshadow what’s to come. In this lonely place, the sounds that I most want to hear are poetry and music. I offer them to you too, as a way of sharing my views on the “hopeful acceptance of hard times.”

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: Lost Along the Way

Songs in this episode: Thoughts Of You by Renderings; Slide by GEMM; Tai Chi Evenings by Sam Barsh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:
#2: Losing My Mother: A Catalyst for Personal Growth

#4: Sitting with Shitty Feelings 

#15 Grief & Gratitude (It’s Bittersweet)

Journal Prompts:

1. What would a loved one or elder tell me to do with the struggle and hard times I am feeling right now?
2. Can I put what’s not working in my life in perspective by comparing it to what is working? What am I grateful for in this difficult moment?
3. How am I showing up for myself (and perhaps those I love) during this difficult time? How can I recognize and celebrate my resilience?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com