today {part 2 - simple soulful}

1.4.11

{below was my contribution this morning to a discussion on the importance of self-care... the first discussion in this month's simple soulful workshop. because i wrote what i did, i felt i should then have lunch at the cafe i spoke of and try to get some images that captured what i said.}

i have loved reading what taking care of yourself means to so many other women here.

just today... before i even read this discussion topic, i thought to myself how important it is that i take care of myself at sixteen weeks pregnant. i realized, if i do not take care of me, i am automatically and directly not taking care of the child that is growing inside me. and i know from the many things others have said here, and from watching my friends and family, that if i do not take care of myself because i am too busy doing things for others, i will eventually break down and not be able to care for anyone at all.

i can see things easily turning that way after the baby is born, which is why i want to practice self-care now... while it is ultra-important for the baby's health, and while i have the opportunity to get it down to a habitual level.

with a strapped financial situation, i find it hard to take care of myself properly these days. but there are a few things i can do... like give myself grace and not feel guilty when my husband is eating ramen noodles for lunch every day so that i can afford a healthy, nutrient-rich meal for myself and baby. i live near a really charming and wonderful cafe called le petit marche... it is within walking distance. so, though it is cold here, i often found myself {this winter and throughout my first trimester} wandering over there for a nourishing lunch.

every day, something new and unexpected is served. always something completely homemade from scratch. always something delicious and packed full of nutrients and protein. always fresh and wholesome with a variety of fresh ingredients such as numerous vegetables and organic eggs and smoked turkey and flavorful cheese. and all in a wonderful setting that makes me feel like i have escaped to another country for an hour or two. it is one of those places where none of the tables or chairs are the same and they play french music and the walls are lined with wine racks and local paintings and photography for sale. it is heaven on earth for me, and it has been my respite from a cold, difficult and even sometimes lonely winter.

i have felt guilty eating there, because it is a little on the pricey side for lunch. but then i have to remember... i am eating for two, so it is really actually a bargain, right? {wink}

and it is not just food with which i am fed there. it is with solace, peace and quiet, and me-time, reflection and dreaming/planning, and solitude, meditation and warmth that i am fed. so i will continue to go, and i will see it as my little gift from God for this time in my life... for this pregnancy that i have waited so long for. that is one way i will be taking care of me for a while.

{i wrote a lot more while i was in the cafe today... so that i could elaborate on this reflection. i also took several more photographs. i wanted, with words and photos, to give any reader the feeling they are actually there. but i decided not to post all the photos... only those you see here. and i will leave my words as is... just a reflection of how i see self-care for myself right now. my descriptive context of this little haven will have to wait for another day.}

{p.s.  i think i'm going to love this simple soulful workshop!!}