Sloths

My virtual yoga instructor has a saying to start the day. He says, "Move around in your body and figure out what is tender and where you need some loving." 

On my day off I try to not only feel around in my body for what is tender, but I try to pay attention to all my emotions and figure out what is tender and needs a little loving. I get to experience lots of emotions in my own life and as I accompany others in their lives. It's easy to get wrapped up in feeling so many different things that I start to check out or respond inappropriately. Some respond to grief with anger, but I tend to respond with humor. It can be more entertaining, but often ends up offensive or annoying. 

Take the sloths for instance. I was telling someone that I wanted to go to Costa Rica and see the sloths (when I'm sad I have a saved video of a sloth swimming and it makes me so happy). She had just been there and told me about a jaguar killing the sloths. I know this is how the food chain works, but it made me so sad that I made up a tongue twister.

Say, "Sloth slaughter" three times fast. See. Now I'm laughing, but then I tried to get one of the young adults to say it. She said it a couple times and then looked at me and said,  "That just makes me sad."

Darn it. It still comes back to the sad place. Humor is a great gift to deflect grief, but ultimately those tender places need loving. 

That didn't keep me from adding to the tongue twister today - sloth slaughterer Susie slyly slaughters sloths. Try that three times fast.