A Sunset Walk by Sarah Olsen

Finding balance in days that are stressful is a challenging task. Finding balance when you are stressed, and also have a baby to take care of, is a necessity. Your baby feels your energy; they know when things are off with you. I am not a scientist and I don’t pretend to know this is true about all babies, but I know from being a mom that when I am frustrated my son’s energy changes. If I am telling a heated story, my son becomes louder and seems more energized. If I am frustrated, he looks to me with concern and I remind him that everything is ok and this has nothing to do with him.

This specific night when I was cooking dinner I had quite a few things on my mind: My father who was suffering from dementia was awaiting some important test results, and my brother had just left for his 5th tour in the war. Of course my head was in the clouds with worry and anxiety over these two extremely important men in my life.

My little bear kept coming over to me and hugging me. He said “mama wuv you” and would hug me so tight and then run away. It melted me. It made me feel so much comfort.

My balance, my refuge, my moment outside of my head and all of my worries came down to a walk in our neighborhood when my husband came home from work. Thank God he asked me to go for a walk; he too knew I needed a breath. We walked with little bear as the sun went down and we talked about all the animals that live in the ocean. We pointed at birds and planes and chatted about our day.

It’s so fascinating to be a parent; every day brings a new light and perspective to my life. Finding those moments of balance is so important for your soul. The lesson for me was when I couldn’t find balance for myself, my husband and my nineteen month old son found it for me.