Around 4pm on Monday, I realized that I haven’t written the Fiction Monday response for last week. Nor was I ready with this week’s prompt post to publish. Usually I would’ve already written, or even published, the response post by Monday morning and start working on the prompt post by afternoon.
I was discouraged and started criticizing myself for not being proactive. I was blaming myself for wasting the morning hours.
Then I realized I was actually busy that morning. Talking to my sister then cutting, cleaning, and freezing chicken, and cooking lunch. This was after getting things ready for the kids’ school and dropping them off.
I was being hard on myself unnecessarily.
I’ve done so much by afternoon on a day when I was beyond exhausted. Instead of thanking and allowing myself to rest after a day well taken care, I was accusing myself for whatever was left undone.
That’s when I remembered this prompt. I had, in fact, been struggling to write a response to this month’s prompt on the Write Bravely group: “Where in your life are you being invited to be gentler—with yourself or with someone else?”
It’s so easy to lose sight of what we do every day. I don’t like it when my family takes for granted what I do for them.
Then why am I taking myself for granted?
That’s where I need to be gentler.
Without waiting for someone else to point out or applaud for the work I put in, I need to pause and acknowledge my efforts. It’s not a small feat to get everything in order day after day.
Then why is it so hard to be kind to myself?
Maybe we should remind ourselves to take note of how we have shown kindness to ourselves each day.
Sometimes that means slowing down and letting the chores sit beside you.
Sometimes we just have to take it easy and not let the unfinished posts judge you.
And sometimes that means ignoring the deadlines and relaxing for a few minutes.
The funny thing is, I did end up writing and publishing both the Fiction Monday response and the prompt post before the day was over. I did it without pushing myself, without the constant self-criticism, and without turning the unfinished work into proof that I had somehow failed.
Perhaps being gentler with myself didn’t make me less productive.
Perhaps it simply made the work feel lighter.
This piece is written in response to Write Bravely July Prompt –
Where in your life are you being invited to be gentler — with yourself or with someone else?
Thank you, Corinne.
Beyond Scribbles 
Lovely read, Vinitha. Very thoughtful indeed, when I take a day off (during the week), I notice that I spend so much time preparing for the week left or the week ahead. I could have just chosen to relax in a way that would have done really good for me in many other ways, but I choose to do it this way, the home, family and how light it gets when we have everything ready for the coming days/week. I’m also learning to be gentler with myself. I am so glad, these reminders are needed every now and then to pause and reset and go on.
Thanks for sharing this. Your consistency is one that I adore as always, but the amount of thought and daily rut that’s there behind it is what I see now. Hugs.
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