bagatocounseling

Over the last couple of weeks—somewhere between fighting off illnesses, trying to create meaningful family memories, and surviving what felt like a Midwest snow apocalypse—I shut down. And I carried a lot of shame about that. It felt especially frustrating because this is a time when advocacy matters. There is so much happening in the world that calls for attention, action, and care. But as a trauma survivor, I can’t ignore how my nervous system and my body respond to extreme trauma,...

I’m coming to realize that I don’t delight enough. Most likely, this is due to feeling distracted and living ten steps ahead — carrying so many roles as a woman, wife, mother, and entrepreneur. With so many things vying for my time and attention, I lose track of the beauty and joy of the things that are delightful. What brought this to my attention was being asked,  “When was the last time you felt delighted in?”  I noticed I didn’t know the answer. That question then led me to reflect...

I have never felt more in the middle of my process at the beginning of a year than I do this year. Most years, as December rolls around, I feel the natural slowing down of things — the organic wrapping up of situations as the year comes to a close — while also feeling the excitement, possibility, and potential of what the next year may bring or what I want to embark on in January. I love both of those experiences. That is not what this year has held for me, and I’m acutely aware that this...