Hello September and Hello to YOU!
We can't believe August is over!! Can you recall last month?
We took a break on social media in August, it wasn't a planned decision, but an action that we took to get our thoughts together. It has also been a nice time to catch up with our self and focus on what we need mentally and physically to keep being 100% ourselves.
This pandemic has been a challenge as people and small business owners. Just like many in our community and around the world we've been struggling and learning how to adapt to this new type of living.
I want to share a little bit of what August was like for us and mostly coming from my point of view. In return I ask you to reflect on your challenges, your vulnerability and what or who got you through those moments?...family, a significant other, friends, books, podcasts, singing, dancing, art...?
As you know, Ryan and I are the makers behind Freewheelin' Goods. We wear multiple hats and we love it, but as much as we want to make this our full-time job, we just have not gotten that opportunity...so we both work another full-time job. At the beginning of August we got news that I was being laid off. It definitely is news that no one ever wants to hear especially during a pandemic! About two weeks after this news I fell off my bike, man oh man was this another heavy emotion. I was fortunately wearing a helmet, but I sprained my wrist and bruised my hip. For a week I could not move my wrist!! The doctor said it would take 4-6months to heal. I was stressed out, I cried many times and the thought of not moving my hand or working with clay made my world crumble. This feeling was familiar, but never this experience.
To my rescue came Ryan (my personal helper), my mom (my crying buddy), my sister (my cheerleader) and friends (my little angels). Their support meant and means the world to me, but at the moment I knew that it was me who had the power to change things. I had to be patient with myself, I had to apologize to myself and understand that this was all just part of the process. I took time to listen to encouraging podcasts, like Brene Brown's "Unlocking US", On Being, and Dharma Talks, but most importantly I took time to be kind to myself.
I listened to Brene's new podcast this morning, it's called "Brene on Day 2" woweee did this touch my heart. Here is a little something from her talk:
"No matter what the middle is, experience does not give us easy passage through struggle, experience only grants us a little grace that whispers this is a part of the process, stay the course."
We can get through this!!
August was tough, but we know we have to stay on course. Slowly, but surely we will be bringing you some new goodies and making preparations for the holiday season, yay!!
Thank you for letting me share a little part of me with you.
Also, I am happy to inform you that it's been three weeks since my bike accident and I am feeling a little better everyday :)
Feel free to e-mail or message me if you have a ceramic project in mind or just want to chat!
Much much love,
Abril <3