I’ll bet certain experiences quickly take you far away from ease.  In those moments, it’s like a different part of you takes over, convincing you there’s only one way to handle the situation and there’s no choice but for it to be difficult, right? But what if it turns out we CAN choose ease more often than we believe?

Well, I’m thrilled to report that these two cuties are back in the same school together after two years apart.😍 1st and 5th grades here they come!

Did all go well the morning this photo was taken? Ummmm, let’s just say there were a couple of snafus.

We have a yearly tradition of buying each of the girls a new outfit for their first day of school. But this year we waited till the day before school to do this. 😳 I know…many would refer to this as a parental fail. Why? Because it’s slim pickings in the stores that late in the game! There were limited sizes remaining on the racks so our youngest ended up with a matching top and shorts that fit her EXACTLY. I mean, there’s was no wiggle room AT ALL! Luckily she loved the outfit and her big sis found an outfit she loved, too.

We laundered the new outfits that night and woke up the next morning ready to go, which is when we ran into the first snafu. The 1st grader donned her new, freshly washed outfit and padded downstairs with a peculiar look on her face. She was holding her blankie in front of her. Why, you ask? Well, behind that blankie was her new outfit, but that cute shirt had become one serious CROP TOP overnight. Oy vey!! 😳

I mean, I’m all for staying hip, but sending our first grader to school in a crop top seemed a bit too cool for school for 6 years old. She was pretty darn upset about this news because she’d picked out a hairband that matched her now crop-topped outfit, but it became clear a different outfit needed to join the scene.

She ran up and brought down her second choice, which is when I realized a good deal of ironing was in my immediate future. So iron I did and that’s when I discovered stains. Yes, numerous stains on her latest outfit choice. On the back. On the front. And to be clear, I’m a stain-removal queen. No joke. I’m really good at getting stains out. It’s kind of my jam. For stains like this to have gotten past me was a shocker.

But the bigger shocker was how I responded to these stains. I didn’t freak out, people! Instead, this was the dialogue in my head, “Ok, I see we have some stains. Well, yes, there are actually quite a few of them. Hmmmm, I could ask her to pick a different outfit. Nah. That seems like a pretty big ask this morning. And is it really necessary? I mean, you know this outfit is gonna return from school with 45,000 more stains on it, right? Choose the easier route, Em. Send her to school with ironed stains and let it go. At least it’s not a crop top, right?”

So we traipsed back upstairs, preparing to head for school when I realized her shoulder straps were loose. I instinctively grabbed my needle and thread and started to thread that damn needle. Why was it a damn needle? Because the older I am, the smaller that damn hole is on the needle and the harder it is to thread. It’s obviously the needle, not me. 🤣🧐

About two seconds into this unexpected sewing expedition, I once again found myself pausing with more of those thoughts. “Ummm, Emily? Is this sewing adventure really necessary right now? Is she gonna die if her straps are a little loose? Is anyone else gonna die from this? Make this easy, Em. Let it go”

And that’s exactly what I did. I announced to the kids that I’d developed a momentary mixed-up mind, but it had cleared.  I laughed and said, “ What the heck, Mommy! Are you trying to keep these kids from their first day of school?! Put that needle and thread away and let’s get out of here and head to school, huh? Let’s make this easy!”

Of course, the kids love ‘easy’ as much as I’m learning to, so off to the first day of school we went with not another thought for stains, loose straps or unmatched headbands.

Here’s the thing. I know it’s probably not crop tops, stains or loose straps that complicate things for YOU, but I’ll bet certain experiences quickly take you far away from ease, too.  In those moments, it’s like a different part of you takes over, right? This part’s convinced there’s only one way to handle the situation and there’s no choice but for it to be difficult.

But what if it turns out we CAN choose ease over hard more often than we believe? I’m repeatedly reminded of this, even though that other part of me still loves to try to convince me that hard is the only way.

So I invite you to pause in your micro-moments when the going gets tough and hard feels like the only choice. Take a second to ask yourself questions like these:

• How can I make this easier?
• Is there a way I can choose easy right now?
• What if it turns out this situation isn’t as dire as my mind is convinced it is?
• I wonder what other solutions are going to show up that I haven’t even thought of yet?

I mean, people! I sent my kid to her first day of school in an outfit covered with stains and loose shoulder straps! (At least it wasn’t a crop top, right?!) On an unexpectedly snafu-filled morning, I chose ease. And you can, too. Let me know how it goes. ❤️

P.S. Know a loved one or friend who is looking for relief in THIS moment? Share my free MICRO-MOMENT RESET with them so they can move into relief, feel more ease, and find more clarity without having to work so hard to make it all happen.

P.P.S. If you’ve been enjoying my weekly blogs and are itching for more daily inspiration, follow me on Facebook (Emily Colwell), Instagram (dr.emily_colwell), and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh1EqJz3wcFJfICkN60krnQ) . I post frequently and humor leaks into most of my posts!

Warmly,

Emily Colwell, MSSW, ND

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