Isolating with my therapist mum

Listening to what’s emerging...on so many levels! From Lexi curating salons in NYC - think French Salon’s in the 18th century, to asking what doorways or entry points are we being invited to step through to explore a deeper layer in our selves, even that ‘soul space’.

We reunite to talk about our need for connection, and how we’re coping with this time of flux and transitions. And naturally, because it’s us, this leads us to diving into the topic of death and Anna’s brush with being a death doula!

Two pandemics

As society “reopens” from isolation, we talk about the challenge of how to navigate different risk and comfort levels of socializing - how to listen to your own intuition, your body, balancing personal values, community responsibilities, boundaries and life experience. Mum shares the dangers of jumping to the 6th stage of grief - “finding meaning” too soon. We’re not there yet!

I share my experience with demonizing anxiety, and what I’m noticing in many people. My mum helps me unpack what anxiety really is, my fears, FOMO and how to move through them with courage.

Dad joins us for a look back at his and my mum’s very different faith journeys, and ways faith has made life easier & harder.

I ask my mum, what would you do differently today being a mother in the era of snowflake children, information & advice overload. I remind my mum of my awful teenage years & secret house parties, she reflects on how wasn’t sure she wanted kids and what she thinks parenting really is.

What does it mean to be a woman from the 1950s to the 21st century in the era of “Me too”? In light of my experiences, my mum reflects on being a woman in the course of her life. From a mother that had dinner on the table ready for her man, to negotiating house chores in her marriage, and waking up to inequality and painful experiences because of her gender.

We’ve lost the plot! Feeling foggy & sad, we chat through what is difficult to surrender & let go of, and owning and understanding our dark side. Otherwise known as “our shadow”, within us and undertaking the task of acceptance and honoring the shadow within us. “We cannot be balanced or whole, for what is hidden never goes away, but merely - and often painfully- turns up in unexpected places.” We recommend the book “Owning your own shadow” by Robert.A Johnson and talk about Lexi’s COVID-19 relief work in NYC local neighborhood with public housing in Chelsea - if you’d like to donate go to www.infirnity.com/donate Thank you!

Finally joined by my dad (Doug), to get my parents perspective on navigating their 36 year marriage! We talk deep on communication, resolving conflict, love languages and ways they’ve worked to live together in times of crisis & isolation.

We explore our 2nd week into self isolation together, & challenge the idea that “this is the new normal”. We share some vulnerable times from our past of living in inbetweens (past bad romances & retiring with no direction) and how we have coped/ want to cope in our current limbo!

Things get real! We go deep about hard things we’ve been feeling under self isolation so far (& towards each other), and how it connects to own our stories of grief & loss. We end by exploring with imagination a hope for our future world.

Mum (the therapist) & I chat about keeping sane during self isolating together with all the ups and downs that will entail! We share what we’re expecting to be frustrated & excited by now we’re roomies!