How adorable is this ^ "Easy Like Sunday Morning" wall art?! Found it on pinterest, and had to share, it's by Bridget Davidson (I stalked all of her art and it's super rad!). BROWSE IT HERE! (I'm not affiliated, just wanted to share something cute with you!)
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Happy Sunday :). I hope that you're enjoying one of those easy peaceful Sundays. It has been gorgeous here and getting outside a little each day has been so lovely this week!
I've been thinking of the word EASE so much throughout the past couple of weeks as I'm navigating things re-opening and what approach feels good for my family, and I wanted to share something with you.
Within the first few years of my son being born, my husband told me I should coin the term "ease parenting" because of my approach to being Kai's mom. We didn't rush into anything. We took our time, truly listened to what he needed and what we needed, then made slow and directional adjustments towards those things. Kai nursed forever and co-slept with us a ton. We didn't push potty training on him, he around 18 months just tried it on his own, so then it was a thing because he was curious. I know this doesn't work for every family, at all - you have to do what works for you - but it worked so lovely for us. It provided the security, trust and communication skills we all needed. It's been an approach that we have kept up as he's gotten older and I feel that it's contributed to the strong, confident, happy and fun kid who trusts us that he is.
I come back to EASE often, both in how I parent Kai and surrounding decisions in my own life. To me, when I ease into something, I am tapping completely into my gut instinct and letting it navigate. I am turning inwards, and to the couple of people surrounding me making the decision. Often, when I struggle with a decision or something is sitting uneasy with me, all of a sudden it hits me - "oh ya, EASE!" and then everything clicks. As I use this approach more and more, it becomes second nature.
I found a similar struggle as things begun to open up around us.
I had a lot of stress and fear come up as I helplessly watched things begin to open, to me I just wasn't ready (absolutely zero judgement if you are ready). It hit me like it has so many times throughout the past 9 years...ease in, Jen. Take your time. Watch and listen. Make your own healthy, safe and informed choices that you feel confident about.
EASING in doesn't mean it will be EASY.
I'm quite often reminding myself to ease in to the difficult decisions, circumstances and situations. It's these kind of things, the more gritty stuff in life, that I find easing in has the most significant impact on for me. Life is REAL and just because you choose to ease in to some things, it doesn't take the realness away...but it sure does give you back some control. When you ease in, you've followed your instinct, and that to me is the ultimate validation.
There is so much power in listening to yourself!
It creates peace and calm for me, even amongst the heavy - and that, to me, is what "easy like Sunday morning" is all about.
