"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain."
I feel like I have stepped in to a chalet world vortex in a little bubble known as Reberty Village up at 2000m surrounded by white mountains. Having the responsibility of managing three very nice chalets and their staff has been a really interesting experience for me, mostly amazingly good and rewarding, although it's also asked me to really work on staying centred and apply everything I've learned the last few years and learn a whole load of new stuff. Like how to order in French.
One day, the sanitizer in one of the chalets flooded, the Jacuzzi exploded, one of my chefs was missing something from his order and I had a list of questions to answer for our very lovely guests. Amidst this I had a number of things on my mind to do, wine stock, ski lessons, table bookings and had the beautiful fresh powdered pistes winking at me, teasingly, knowing I was too busy to get out and play on them that day despite wishing to.
I walked in to the restaurant where I needed to make some bookings, propped myself on the side of the bar and before I had chance to do anything, I started to cry. If anyone had asked me what was wrong, I wouldn't have been able to answer it with one particular thing, but for a change rather than resisting the urge and holding back what I was feeling, I let the tears gently fall and took some breaths. "Will this matter a year from now?" I asked. One of those questions that quickly put things in to perspective. Obviously not.
But what I realised was - I was, like many others in the world we live in, stressed. Bad habits I thought I left behind in Adland had snuck back in to my life. I'd been waking up in the mornings and instead of saluting the sun with a few asanas or a meditation, I'd be checking my phone for emails and messages. I wasn't drinking enough water or herbal tea. I wasn't doing enough exercise and my eating habits told me I was seeking comfort.
So I did what most of us would do in this situation - I phoned my Mum. Bless Mum. My mum recently brought my Venezuelan abuela / grandmother back to Spain to live with her awhile as she's unwell. I listened to my Mum explain how hard it had been for her with abuella being very frail and the side affects of her diabetes and Alzheimer's had meant my Mum was doing an awful lot of care giving and struggling to balance that with managing her work. I took a moment to count my blessings while providing an ear for Mum who was clearly feeling the weight of it all and perhaps needing to chat it all out more than I did.
As someone who hopes to make the world a bit better and wants to create balance and harmony in life - I give myself one hell of a hard time when things get bumpy and the grit of Earth school grates. And I screw up as much as the next person. During my little anxious stumble - I got a grip and did what I could to make my life better. I made time to chat with people I care for, got my yoga mat out, made myself a salt scrub and found solace within while keeping perspective. That all forgiving and understanding perspective that mother looks at me with.
I love exploring the spiritual realm, realising universal truths and the interconnected web of existence, there's profundity and insight there. I get that. And then there's presence. Just being present to it all and breathing through the experiences (and emotions) of life. Sometimes they might squeeze and test... sometimes I may need to take a step back and sometimes I may seek comfort in food and a phone call to Mum. Because, despite being strong, I'm still infallibly human.
