22 March 2021 – Kindness…

“Kindness is a weird and slippery thing.”

Sometimes I feel like kindness is confused with self-care—long walks and bubble baths. Time alone to watch TV. These things are part of kindness, sure. But such a small piece.

Sometimes kindness is kind words. Acknowledgment. Compassion. Maybe even self-love. Do I love myself? I think so. Mostly.

In my work life, sometimes I give myself more than kindness. And I too lenient here? Too self-forgiving? It still amazes me to receive good reviews with a little over half of my former energy.

I wonder where the old Miranda would be?

The one place I don’t struggle is in honoring my grief. In the love I give to both of my children. In this pure, authentic honesty. And although sometimes it is awkward, it is also the most important piece of kindness to me.

I am a mother to two children. And that fact deserves to be seen.

Posts written in response to prompts from Megan Devine’s Refuge in Grief writing program.
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Close up of Miranda and Adrian in the hospital after Adrian's birth. Both of their eyes are closed, and Miranda is holding Adrian's hand

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