Most of us have or have had our moments when we are just feeling dejected. No one is immune to sadness; not even the most upbeat amongst us…
THE STORY
…Sometimes it’s due to a particular situation or event, sometimes it’s due to nothing other than hormones. For me, it is without fail, triggered by a particular time of the year; specifically, the last few days of July into early August. That period of time has been rough for me ever since I was a kid. I lost my mom on July 31st thirty-five years ago this year. The year after she passed, my great-grandmother whom I was close to, passed away on the 30th. In 2010 my buddy, my beautiful sheltie boy had to be put down on August 2nd. Yes, I know…he was a dog. But those of you who are dog lovers know that losing a fur baby is no less traumatic than losing a human. And then last year on July 27th I lost my aunt who took over the mom role after my mom passed. I wrote about what I learned from that loss here.
In any case, I know in advance that during that time period I’ll be in a dark place in my head. And do you know what? That’s okay. We have to feel the ugly in order to appreciate the beauty. We have to face the bad to see the good. And it doesn’t matter if it’s been 35 minutes or 35 years, recognizing and acknowledging the pain we feel from the loss of someone we love is important. And necessary. But it is also important to move on once we acknowledge it.
I typically allow myself a few days grace to wallow in the darkness. I cry. I rage. I stare at the wall. And then I get back to living because that’s how I roll. This year though, my wallowing was cut short and I didn’t have to crawl out of that dark hole by myself. And for that I am eternally grateful. On Monday morning I had a coffee date with one of my closest friends. No matter what the situation, she listens. She commiserates with me. She never tells me how I should or shouldn’t feel. She’s simply there with me, wherever it is that I am, with unconditional love and support. That coffee date helped me more than she knows.
What really knocked me back into the light though happened later that evening. A text conversation took place between myself, my daughter and my son…and later the aforementioned friend because my kids are just so awesome I had to screenshot it and share it with her too. I won’t bore you with the details of the conversation, but without even realizing they were doing anything special, their wit, their humor and their love for their mama just kicked my ass right out of the dark place in my head. There was no way possible that I could feel a bit of sadness when I was reminded, at just the right moment, what absolutely amazing human beings my kids have become. Never has the ugliness been so juxtaposed with the beautiful.
THE OUTFIT
This floral long kimono that I received c/o Shein is a welcome addition to my ever-expanding kimono collection. Why? Up until I received this black floral long kimono, I only had this kimono in the black family. All of my others are definitely of the more colorful variety. For example, this multicolor kimono, the tie-dye kimono and my neon pink kimono to name a few. I’ve been wanting another one, particularly a long one, in the darker range of colors. How cool with this look layered and belted over top of a black turtleneck, skinny jeans and over the knee boots this Fall/Winter?
Today though, I stuck with my tried and true Summer combo of denim boyfriend shorts and a white tee. Annnddd…my red ankle boots! The exclamation point was my chosen form of punctuation because, you guys, all shoe restrictions have been lifted which means, if I can get my foot in it, I can wear it! True, I only wore these for a little bit, but still…I wore them. 🙂
THE TIP
I’ve said it before, I’m saying it now and I will undoubtedly say it again…if you don’t have one, get a kimono. If you already have one, pick up another and start a collection. They are seasonless, look good on everyone, can be styled in a multitude of ways and they have the ability to make a plain outfit look fabulous. A kimono is kind of like the superhero of your closet.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Kimono: c/o Shein; Shorts: Old Navy (Similar); Tee: Aeropostale (Similar); Boots: Aldo (Similar)
