Hi friends,
I never noticed how busy May is until this year.
It’s the season of breathtaking red roses, the Majnooneh tree, which I will not Google its English counterpart because its name is half its magic, and the Jacaranda tree, which I am constantly sharing about on Instagram before its purple brightness leaves till next year.
It’s also the season of graduation ceremonies and proms. It is beautiful and emotional to see many kids you knew since they were very young graduating high school these days! For instance, this puts things in perspective: the ring boy at my wedding and the youngest of the flower girls just graduated school. They are not kids anymore!
What about your families? Has someone graduated from school?
I don’t know if I say this every year, but I certainly feel this second semester of the school year passed by so fast. My daughter will finish 5th grade on June 10th, and my son will finish the 2nd grade on June 6th. It’s so surreal.
What classes are your kids or nieces and nephews graduating from?
Like me, many of you are flexing your muscles as the final exams season starts this week. Dread is probably the overarching emotion now.
As I shared in the
self-compassion podcast episode, when we feel we are suffering - even if this suffering seems ridiculous in the big picture and compared to suffering others are going through- we use self-compassion to help us go through it.
Dread is some kind of suffering, so here is how I am using self-compassion to feel calmer:
The three steps of self-compassion:
- Mindfulness: “I’m aware I feel like crying whenever I read the included material in my daughter’s exams or think about the time I will spend following up on her, printing material to study, creating quizzes on ChatGPT, and so on. I feel anxious that this will take much energy, which I might not have.”
- Self-kindness: I talk to myself sweetly while touching my shoulder or putting my hand on my heart and say: “It’s okay, darling, to feel this way; this is hard work that will pay off. It’s a challenge you went through many times, and you improved your preparation skills every time.”
- Remember shared humanity: “So many parents are going through the same experience simultaneously; you are not alone! Many parents of older kids may miss the days their kids depended on them.”
Do you feel better now? I do.
I also would like to share my intentions and affirmations for the coming period:
- I have all the time, energy, and resources to finish this task successfully.
- I ask for help from my partner frequently.
- I trust I will be calm and patient.
- The time I spend with my kids on their exams is an investment in their education to end the year on a high note.
- This work is a priority for only a short time, and I can handle two weeks.
- We are well-prepared.
- We take energizing breaks like walks, naps, and healthy snacks.
- We have done this before, and we can do it again.
- We got this.
- Think of the day after. Think of the celebration.
Finally, I sincerely thank all the fabulous teachers out there for all the hard work you have been doing all year. Thank you for taking care of our kids. We appreciate you.
