As working parents will attest, sometimes finding the balance between family, work and personal life can be a challenge. There’s nothing new about that. But what I had forgotten, was the complete sense of nourishment and rejuvenation that can occur after time spent with girlfriends, finishing complete sentences, having enduring conversations and laughing until you cry.
In Episode 14 of The Curious Life Podcast, actor, writer and yogi Rachael Coopes shared her thoughts on the importance of female relationships and time spent together as women and in fact, noted that this is how we rebuild our estrogen. She couldn’t have been more spot-on!
In a twist of synchronicity following this interview, for the first time in more than three years, I embarked on a luxurious long weekend away with some of my oldest friends, in the beautifully serene Daylesford, Vic.
We spent three days together, barely touching our phones except to check in with our kids and heroic child-wrangling partners, engaging in meaningful, thought-provoking conversation, drinking wine (lots of wine), having delicious meals out and of course the usual fare of massages and psychics that come with the territory in Daylesford.
We stayed at the fabulous Waterside Cottage, right on the lake, which was ideal for a brisk walk to dust off the night before and start the day fresh.
Rach was right about the estrogen, we felt entirely nourished after our time together and our group chat was alight with love and connection long after we returned home.
This was a timely reminder of the truth behind that well-known emergency procedure rap, that we need to fit our oxygen masks properly on ourselves before we can help others with theirs. There’s no sense in martyr parenting. Perhaps we all need to get a little better at remembering to fit our own masks on firmly, in whatever form that is for us, taking that time to replenish our energy and be back with all cylinders firing. Easier said than done, some of the time.
I know that I’m certainly not going to let another three years go by before my next little getaway!
