the story
“Wanna go on a walk with me?”
“Sit down and close your eyes. Let’s meditate, just for five minutes.”
“Come on Ayo, let’s do some yoga.”
Throughout my childhood, my mom would always attempt to get me to go on a walk, try meditating, or do yoga with her. My response 99% of the time was a very disinterested “no.” I was a kid and quite frankly I thought all of that stuff was corny. My mom liked all of those “woo-woo” activities and I wanted no parts in it. One of the few times she got me to go on a lakefront walk, I was bamboozled into picking out a tree and HUGGING IT. You think I’d want to go again after that?!
My mother was doing all the things many of us do now, but way before it was cool. It’s something about her that I’ve now come to really appreciate. But back then? Psh, please. Outside of thinking these activities were strange AF, I also simply did not want to be doing anything remotely close to what my mom liked to do. Having the same interests as my parent just screamed “uncool” and I stayed far away from that.
Now, if you know me, you’re probably chuckling by now. If not, here’s the funny part: the tables have turned. I’m the one who loves a good hour long walk, often calling my mom to catch up while I do. There have been a few times where she’s yelled my name from the kitchen before coming upstairs and whispering,“you meditating? Oh, sorry,” through the crack in my door. Yoga is a regular practice of mine -- one I tend to invite her to do with me instead of the other way around. Talk about a full circle moment.
the lesson
I know many of us (including myself) spend a lot of time aiming to be the opposite of anything our parents are and represent. It’s kind of like this innate desire to fly as far away from the coop as possible. I get it, but as I’ve grown older I’ve begun to appreciate the little seeds of wisdom she planted within me. Even if they took awhile to set in, yoga, walking, and meditation are three practices that have become integral to my wellbeing. I have my mom to thank for that.
As I began to find the magic in these practices, I realized how important it was to own up to changing my mind and being okay with it. For the longest time I was hell bent on not practicing anything close to the things she taught me. Five years ago I changed my tune. Just because we start off with one kind of opinion or position on something, doesn’t mean we have to keep that mindset. It’s possible to grow and change once new information is presented.
the light
Our parents, though not perfect, have qualities that inevitably get passed down to us. Whether we like it or not, the people who brought us into this world will always show up within and honestly that’s pretty dope. There is so much power in accepting that in the quest to become our own person, the people who made us end up being intricately woven throughout our souls in ways that are always a bit surprising. It's possible to create a version of ourselves that we absolutely love while getting to decide what we keep and what we do away with from the people who came before us. It may be easier said than done at times and that’s okay too.
I found my way to yoga, meditation, and walking at the perfect moment. Everything was right on time, and I love the fact that my mom was the person who introduced me to practices that would ultimately change my life. Today, I wonder if you can think of one quality you love about yourself that comes from a parent or grandparent. Find something? Reply to this email or slide up in my DMs on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
See you next week!