I spent this past weekend replenishing my mind, body, and soul at a wellness spa.

The body was the easy part - fun workouts, good clean food, and some great massages always do the trick for me.

Taking a break from the news and social media did it for my mind.

The soul, however... that was the tricky part.

You see I have been feeling a little off-kilter lately. Not really sad. Not really happy. Kind of like just going through the motions without the joy. You know those times, right?

I signed up for every service that I thought could help me dive deep, could crack open my heart, and could help me unblock what was holding me back. 

I tried a Soul Journey, and an Inner Journey, and lots of quiet reflection. I meditated, I pondered, I came up with so many theories...

Maybe I am working too hard...

Maybe it's the weather...

Maybe it's the political situation or menopause or not eating enough carbs???

I couldn't figure it out.

But it wasn't until the very last day that I had a breakthrough. It was during my energy healing session that I felt it. 

I felt PAIN. Excruciating, almost couldn't breathe, chest exploding pain that was buried so deep. In fact, I didn't even know the extreme level of pain I had been feeling until it released.

I missed having a mom.

This was not the grief of losing my mom. This was the eternal grief of not being mothered.

And this pain was blocking my joy.

Truth be told, my mom was not the greatest mother for me. She was not that comforting or wise. She hardly ever visited and didn't seem particularly interested in my life.

But she was still my mom. And I will always love her and know that she loved me even if she had trouble showing it sometimes. 

I had worked so hard to mindfully grieve that I thought I was through it. But, not being mothered is a hole that can not ever be filled. 


So what now?

I  know that my life is filled with so much love and joy that I will be damned if I don't appreciate it, feel it, and rejoice in it.

My soul is feeling much freer already but I know to truly break through this period, I must keep up the work. I must continue to peel away the layers buried deep inside and I must actively pursue joy as if my life depended on it.

Because, truthfully, it does.

And, I can think of no better tribute to my mom and to my own children than to choose joy.