The Garden of The Mind

The mind is a garden from whence beauty grows. - Robin

At each show's end of The Price is Right, Drew Carey, staying true to his promise to Bob Barker and his contract, appeals to the audience and viewers to remember to spay or neuter our pets in order to help control the pet population. He also adds another petition and that is for the welfare of our mental health. Pleading for us to take care of our mental health and our well-being, remembering to love on ourselves.

Mental health awareness is of course nothing new. Though through the centuries there have been variations on the name identifier.

Beginning with the 1800s, it was called Mental Hygiene, and that stayed well on into the 1900s and forward, turning into a full on Mental Hygiene Movement.

When COVID hit, the awareness of mental health issues brought so many levels of mental hygiene front and center.

The month of May holds a few observances, including Women’s Health Care Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.

As this month closes, it has encompassed both of these for me. It doesn’t matter how common this is, or how many people I know who have experienced the many different facets of breast cancer, this is my journey and my experience and the invasion of cancer inside my body weighs heavily on my mind daily. Thoughts may come and go throughout the day but not a day has gone by that at some point, whether for a minute, five minutes or an hour the garden of my mind sprouts up a weed. Or two.

God is faithful to help me navigate my garden and pull out those weeds.

For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

I’ve cried more in this month than I’ve cried in years. Not out of despair, it just felt like my body needed to help my mind release the heaviness it would sometimes feel. Here's a little secret, we are human and it is okay to cry. It is okay to feel what we need to feel when we feel it. Yet, sometimes the problem isn't the crying at all, it's staying in that place too long.

As someone who practices self-care regularly, I know what works for me and the steps I need to take when the tears come, when the sadness of this specific trial or life in general seem overwhelming. Face it, sometimes "life be life'n way too much!"

My first line of well-being is always prayer and meditation.

God's word gives me the peace that my mind, heart and soul seek.

God's word strengthens and empowers me. Spending time in His presence straightens my countenance.

I turn to the gratitude of my life, the grace of what God has brought me through, and the beauty of living that life.

this is my life

while it's a beautiful life

it's a complicated life

most life is

the ups and downs

the all arounds

the good the bad

the joyous the sad

comings and goings

blessings overflowing

this is my life

covered by God's grace

beautiful in it's space

grateful for my place

this is my life

© Robin Kittrell r|k

Part of that gratitude includes the excellent support that I have. The good, positive energy surrounding me. My village.

My village helps me not only physically but they help tend to the garden of my mind. My mailbox has become laden with beautiful gifts and cards, and encouraging letters. The calls and texts I receive start out with the same greeting.

“How are you doing?” Or, the more profound, "How are you feeling?"

For both it's about how I'm navigating this trial, these circumstances, this unwelcome experience. The reason I describe, "How are you feeling?" as more profound, is because it can normally be associated with being sick, and I am not sick. And my friends know that. As our conversations dive in, they are inquiring about my feels.

"How are you feeling through this procedure or about this process in the journey?"

"How are you doing with all of this?"

With every call and text or email, my heart warms, the garden of my mind blooms more and more.

The sista check-ins before surgery and treatment have centered around the care and concern of how I’m doing mentally. Spending time with family and friends, whether on the phone or in person, praising God, laughing, having positive conversations, or enjoying delicious meals at fabulous restaurants, it's all good for the body, mind, soul.

Y'all know I love my walks, whether Runyon Canyon or along the tree and flower lined residential streets in my neighborhood, being in the environment where I really can stop and smell the roses, it's calm for my mind's garden. I had been into yoga off and on since the mid 90s, through the years more off than on. During COVID thanks to my job's advocacy for wellness, we were offered the opportunity to take free online yoga classes and from that my love for yoga returned. The down time of being unplugged for a few hours a day, no phone, no tv, no music, and simply reading a book, writing and doodling, or enjoying a cup of tea and being still, is all so good for my body, mind and soul. And I didn't forget spa days, those are a given and for me a must do. What I like about spa anything is that yes you can go to the wellness spas for full on experience with massages and treatments, but you can also have those mini spa moments right in your own home. Turning your bathroom into a candle lit sanctuary and your shower time into an aromatherapeutic experience is a homemade luxury that doesn't cost a lot and makes you feel oh so good!

If you think these kinds of things are only for special days or occasions, think again.

Our minds are on all hours of the day aside from when we are asleep.

Our bodies are working even when we are sleeping.

The special day is today and the special occasion is you!

Peace. Love. Happiness.

Seeds that I feed my garden.

Seeds that yield a mighty harvest of...

Peace. Love. Happiness.

For all who are reading this, whether you are going through anything or not, know that you mean something to this world. You are a gift. A gem. You deserve to be good to yourself. It's not selfish to be generous to yourself. I'm not talking about shucking responsibilities but take those moments to REJUVENATE, REPLENISH, REFRESH. Whatever that looks like for you. Whatever activity that is for you. Your body, your mind and your soul will in turn thank you.

And if you are having difficulties, talk to someone. If you rather keep it private from family or friends, then find a counselor or therapist to help you navigate the garden of your mind. There is absolutely no shame in not being okay sometimes. There is absolutely no shame in seeking help.

Life be life'n.

I want to take this time to showcase a book that a friend gifted me, thank you Karen. I in turn paid it forward giving a copy of the book to my sister.

A faith based presentation of the garden of our minds. Using biblical principles and her own experience with familial schizophrenia, trauma therapist and mental health expert Dr. Anita Phillips reveals how embracing emotion is the key to living your most powerful life.

I was very much engaged. I found it full of power, yes, along with information and knowledge that encouraged me and was truly uplifting. Talk about divine order. My friend Karen had given me this book months prior to my diagnosis. With my bible, I read it, I absorbed it, not knowing that months down the road I would be reflecting on what I had learned. A truly beautiful book!