Gratitude Weekly
Subscribe

Gratitude for Arrival

Getting out of my head and into my heart.

Alex Elle

Oct 30, 2021
3

Today, my family of five hopped on our very first flight together as a unit. It started smooth and ended very, VERY rough, to say the least. Our youngest is newly two, and this was her first time flying. The last forty-five minutes of the flight, she screamed, screeched, and hollered. She was over it and showed us all with a full-blown meltdown. All I could do was try to hold her, love on her, and cry too. I felt so helpless and so very sad. There were a lot of emotions swirling between the two of us. Yesterday, I got back from Wyoming feeling inspired and refreshed, and today, I got off the plane in Milwaukee feeling overwhelmed, tired, and wanting to be home. My little one was beyond exhausted, and I felt so guilty for having her out and off her schedule. We were all doing our best, and our best didn't feel very great. It was a lot to handle, and as I type this, my nervous system feels on edge—still.

Nevertheless, we made it to my in-laws. The cousins were thrilled to see each other, and I had a nice sunset walk with my husband. I am so grateful we arrived, and I am doing my best not to think too far ahead about our flight home in a few days. Lately, I've been trying to be entirely in the present, even when the present looks like a hot mess. I tell myself, there's always something to learn when we are alive. And even though when emotions and energy are high, it's hard to look at (or for) the lesson. The one that stood out to me and my husband the most today was evident. We both looked at each other and said: Well, we tried, and we won't be trying this again for a while.

For now, that's a good enough lesson.

Milwaukee's weather was beautiful today, and that made Ryan and I smile. We're considering relocating here, so it's nice to feel aligned and excited when visiting my in-laws. Even though the trip here was a doozy, being settled for now is nice. My walk helped me decompress a lot. I did two miles in a beautiful neighborhood and celebrated day 41 of walking with a vanilla bean cardamom latte. That felt soul-warming. The consistency of my walking has been so grounding. It has reminded me to get out of my head and into my heart. After that flight, all I wanted to do was walk and decompress. Parenthood, as beautiful as it is, can cause us to abandon promises to ourselves completely. I've had some high-stress mommy moments these last 41 days, but my walk always brings me back home to myself. I'm so glad I'm still going strong, even on the days I'm too tired, drained, and ready to call it quits. It's easier to stay put than to walk, but I walk anyway.

I've never been more grateful to be on the ground and in my walking shoes than today. I'm looking forward to a good night's rest and rejuvenated energy come tomorrow, but for now, I will enjoy the silence of our AirBnB and the sleeping breaths of our children.

Community, what are you grateful for this week? Keep your emails and comments coming (gratitude@alexelle.com).

Subscribe for free to Gratitude Weekly
By subscribing, you agree to share your email address with Alex Elle to receive their original content, including promotions. Unsubscribe at any time. Meta will also use your information subject to the Bulletin Terms and Policies
3

More from Gratitude Weekly
See all

Gratitude Challenge: Week 1

Think of me and this newsletter as your accountability partners.
May 2
17
37

5 Tips to Start a Gratitude Journaling Practice

We often overlook the little things. The micro-moments in our lives are worthy of our attention.
Apr 20
14
31

Gratitude for Grace (Week 3)

There's nothing wrong with us needing or having to begin again.
May 18
11
8
Comments
Log in with Facebook to comment

3 Comments

  • Sloane Stephens
    Writes Sloane Stephens Off-Court
    The anxiety I felt through the start of the read! I fly often and whenever I hear a child in "distress" I too go to feelings of sadness, before annoyance! As an adult I hate flying, so I feel for the young ones who struggle through flights!
    It's great…
    See more
    • 32w
  • Denise R. McCoy
    I felt exhausted after reading about the flight. Your writing has a mood to it. That’s powerful.
    • 33w
  • Silvana Ordoñez
    congratulations on day 41 of walking! that is inspiring
    • 33w
Share quoteSelect how you’d like to share below
Share on Facebook
Share to Twitter
Send in Whatsapp
Share on Linkedin
Privacy  ·  Terms  ·  Cookies
© Meta 2022
Discover fresh voices. Tune into new conversations. Browse all publications