March 12, 2020. That’s when I spoke to my children’s school and an announcement was made to shut down. We were told by the state that there would be a “brief pause” prior to spring break due to an international pandemic that had hit our state. And then we never went back.

If you’re feeling tired, my friends, this is why. It’s called Anniversary Grief. It’s a trigger that your body senses even before the date nears. For the past year, our bodies, minds and hearts have absorbed the impact of being in a state of lock down. A state of stress. A state of loss, overwhelm and unimaginable change.

You’ve flexed. You’ve adapted. You’ve changed. You’ve cried. You’ve lost. You’ve worried.

March 12 is this Friday. I’m taking a break and I encourage you to do the same. In some way, large or small, take a moment to remember. Breathe in deeply. Think about everything you’ve been through, all the roles you’ve taken on, the autonomy you gave up and the sacrifices we’ve made collectively.

If you’re tired, be tired. If you’re sad, be sad. If you feel like a superhero, it’s because you are a superhero. You’ve endured and created resilience. Remember, resilience is how we respond to challenges and overcome them versus being defeated by them.

I’d love to hear from you! Tell me, what have you endured and how have you grown?

Holding you in a compassionate space, friends.

Dr. Amy

PS – We realized there were some tech glitches last week with our email server. In last week’s newsletter, I shared a beautiful story about a family in order to portray the concept of co-regulation. If you want to read about this sweet family’s story and learn more about the importance of co-regulation, you can find it here.