Swimming with Grace

Thriving is not a destination. It is a conscious choice we make every time we get out of bed in the morning. It is not necessarily a constant state of being, though that is my desire.

There may be some who naturally exude joy with every step. But for some of us, beliefs about life as a struggle have been passed down for generations. On my Filipina mother's side I come from a people who spent centuries under Spanish and (later, American) colonialism. Victim energy is all too familiar. On my father's side I descend from Mormon pioneers. Struggle and adversity is a badge of honor. It takes a deliberative choice to break that pattern. 

In Living a Charmed LIfe, Victoria Moran points out that we can put magic into our every day: every time we sign our name, or make a bed, we can put a little extra into each moment. I love that--we can perform even the banal activities of our day to make each moment extraordinary. Since I read that, I remember to put an extra flourish in my signature rather than scribbling it across the page. I try to laugh more, even when it might start as forced. With my kids we will start the day with Donna Eden's energy exercises. As I breath, I laugh and tap. My kids look at me and start laughing too. Soon, the laughter erupts naturally. How easy it is for my children to thrive, to exist in the moment. When did that change for me? I can learn much from my children.

Even when I slip into old patterns, I can start afresh. A shower. A prayer. A conversation with a friend. Maybe I've chosen the experience of this particular pregnancy so I can practice showing up and thriving, regardless of my bodily experience, to float despite the gravity of my hips and thighs. That reminds me--to start swimming again--cutting through the water, weightless and slippery, I remember what grace feels like, how effortless it can be, when I don't struggle, but move with less resistance. 

Here's to graceful swimming...