I Got Quiet….

Like a swarm of mosquitoes, the usernames, passwords, fraudsters and lunatics were requiring the most insane amount of swatting which left me no time to be present to myself or those that I love. So I got quiet.

Like so many households around the world, ours was rocked on Thursday by the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

My household is ⅓ British (Pip and I being Canadian born) and so there was a seismic feeling to the news. So many have said so much about her that I needn’t go into it other than to say that I admired her. I had that same feeling that so many of us held, of her as a Grandmother figure and an icon of a woman in leadership who inspired and comforted but also held her ground.

I’m not a proponent of colonialism but I really liked her and her humility. Queen Elizabeth was a figure who led from the trenches and the balconies. She was an inspiration.

We hold female leaders to a different fire than their male counterparts.

Women in power can’t be too fierce, too strong and they certainly can’t succumb to their bodily cycles or discomforts. At the same time, however, they must be excellent at the qualities that we expect of leaders which are often ferocity, strength and an awareness of their own needs and those of others. They shouldn’t let family get in the way of their leadership but they had better be good mothers.

If they aren’t mothers then why? My hope is that this tide is shifting and that men and women leaders can get on with leading and we can get on with supporting them in that action. We have got work to do and we need good leaders with strong vision. But most of all, we need community, conversation and kindness.

All of this brings me to my soapbox pondering of this week….

During my time away last week I made a conscious effort to let go, release, and make space so that I could feel, respond and love again. There is so much news, so many events and so… well…. much to deal with every day that I felt confused and directionless.

Like a swarm of mosquitoes, the usernames, passwords, fraudsters and lunatics were requiring the most insane amount of swatting which left me no time to be present to myself or those that I love.

So I got quiet. I puttered around the forest.

I read. I swam. I napped.

And this week I have room. I can deal with the mosquitoes. When my partner was rocked by the news, I could take time with him. This is how I want to live. I want to live as though I have time. Because I do… as long as I claim it. As long as I remember to be my own leader.


Will you take the time you need?

om shanti,
Allie