Why hello there October, and hello Readerto you!

Are you in the same kind of playful denial I am, about the way the year is flying past at the speed of light?

I swear everytime payday rolls around and I am back to burying my head in our family budget, I feel a slight sense of wonder and have to stave off the sense of nervousness that we haven't managed to save much at all towards Christmas. Ah well.

Because I don't know about you, but I definitely start THINKING about present ideas at this point it the year... it helps me to lament with more effectiveness, when I hit the middle of December and realise that I haven't actually bought supplies or gifts for a whole wing of the extended family, and now need to get serious about it! Do you resonate? No?
Evidently the cheese stands alone.

Something I have been reflecting on...

...is just how long it can take us to fully recover from challenging seasons.

Very often, we can think we've had soooo much time off sick, or are convinced we've spent 'soooo much time grieving and being gentle with ourselves' that it can be tempting to say "enough already - it's time I pulled my socks up and got really disciplined!" ​
​But if we actually take into account how much we've gone through, how much we've had to process, how much of a load our hearts and bodies have carried and are still carrying - then rather than thinking "I should be over it by now" we would be more likely to recognise how crazy it is that we have expected so much of ourselves.

I know that in the past year - we have shifted out of the worst of the pandemic at last; there has been war and massive oppression around the world; we have seen governments shift and change, lie and scare us, and also promise us a way out of difficulty; (here in the UK a monarch died); and all that is simply the backdrop for whatever sickness, financial concern, relationship tensions, death, worries and challenges with and for our children, sleepless nights, exhaustion, work struggles and general physical and emotional pain or trauma we have had to navigate. For us in the past 12 months ish, there have been the deaths of two wonderful women in my extended family alone. It takes a lot of energy to grieve well, and often we don't acknowledge just how cumulative this can be.

I have had five pregnancies, but whilst there was more of a gap between our youngest two children (the one in the middle was a miscarriage), it has taken me progressively longer to physically recover from no.5 compared to no.1 and even no.2.
Each subsequent pregnancy didn't affect my body in isolation, but carried with it the journey and the physical toll of all of the previous ones. This is all fine and normal, but it requires that I respect this, and allow much longer for recovery with each child.

In the same way, if you have been struggling with energy levels and motivation, sleeplessness, frustration, anxiety, sadness or even just a general background sense of flatness and sluggishness at all during this past year - maybe your body and your heart are still in need of ​
​Tender. Loving. Care.

Just as we have to follow a course of medicine through to the end in order to heal our bodies, so we also have to allow our hearts to do the same. If you have a broken leg, it takes at least six weeks of rest for it to be fully healed... so much more the invisible pain of a broken or burnt-out heart.

When you allow yourself to really pay attention and listen, your inner self will give you the answer/s you need, for a full and holistic recovery... so don't be tempted to skimp or try to speed the process, because you think it's too much- you are allowed to take the full time. The key words here are TENDER and LOVING and CARE... so do this kindly, without berating yourself for being useless - you aren't. You deserve kindness and to be tenderly cared for.

For me - this currently looks like leaning into early nights and getting up late in the mornings, rather than pushing myself to get up early to walk. This need for rest has been going on longer than I would like, but as I still seem to need it, I'd be foolish to ignore it.

So what might you need to pull back from or surrender to, to allow your body and heart to heal and fully recover in this season - and what can you start with this week?

What News?

Pete has been working late, we have been sleeping in and generally there has been a lot of playing of Toca Life & various running games, Bob The Builder has been on repeat for Micah who likes to dance along and act out the scenes in real time 😍, and we have been upping our baths and magnesium intake. Grace continues to plan her tv series on Atlantis and has been developing her editing skills, and I have done a little bit of painting and walking and cooking.

This week for work development, I've been taking part in Elise Darma's Reel of Fortune challenge... I managed to show up live for 3 of 5 days, so I feel totally justified in celebrating that! It's also given me more clarity and focus on how to utilise short video to grow my audience and sales... which truly feels like a whole other world! Also, I keep feeling the urge to say y'all every other sentence... not 100% certain I can pull that off, but if you spot the odd y'all from time to time, just go with it 🤣 🤣🤣.

AND... I am in the thick of planning my first course on reading effectively in public, with specific emphasis on really nailing the reading of scripture within a church service. It will have more range and application than just this, but it's one of those things that seem to trip people up, and I can and want to help ... so watch this space for more info!

Speaking

The newest season of Connecting The Dots has been off to a good start, and I am really chuffed to have received a beautiful review which truly lifted my heart. If you have enjoyed these pods and/or found them helpful or encouraging, then I'd be so grateful if you would consider leaving me a review on Apple podcasts (or wherever you listen), it really helps other people to find it.
Below is a snippet from Yaz's review... thank you Yaz!

This coming week I am talking about the value of stepping stones and plodding as a means to build meaningful relationships and work that has deep roots and longevity. Nothing is really an overnight success, but usually the result of consistent effort - often at a plodding pace, with many stops and starts. Join me for Connecting The Dots on Thursday's from 9am BST.​
​Here is a little taster...

Writing

Despite a quieter year of writing, here are a few blog posts and poems you may have missed.

​Nourishing Creativity In The Darker Months​
​Breathe Deeply​
​Why I don't want my son to become less Autistic​
​Ode To Pizza - because you can never have too much pizza y'all!

Final Thought

You are precious and valuable and worthy of rest and care, so my prayer for you is that this week you would really lean in and give yourself permission to hear and to respond to the needs of your heart, body and mind.
If that means earlier nights and more naps, or nourishing food, or to leave the to-do list for a week - if it means booking a phone date with a friend or cancelling something you were planning to go to or do - then let yourself. It might go on for a while, but not forever, and that is honestly ok.

Have a wonderful week, God bless,
Cassie x

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