Group Hike: Denver, Colorado
I am so thankful for the opportunity to hike with Linda and Carolyn yesterday for our first Hiking My Feelings Tour hike outside of SoCal, and my first hike in the snow! Linda has been in Colorado for more than 60 years and we talked about how the landscape, cities, and overall vibe of her favorite state has shifted in that time. "It's been discovered," she said.
Linda sat front and center at the talk in Denver and is planning to bring her granddaughter to the talk in Boulder on the 24th. Carolyn is a volunteer with an organization called Live By Living, which offers cancer patients and survivors (AND their caretakers) the opportunity to experience the healing of the great outdoors through various adventures here in Colorado. We shared stories of loved ones who have been affected by the disease, and how important it is for us as caretakers, spouses, and family members to carve out time for ourselves so we can can also heal.
When I talk about my #traumapack on tour, I mention that I believe we all wear one, they're just full of different things. The big thing in mine was the sexual assault I survived 12+ years ago. Yours might be an incident from when you were younger - bullying, childhood trauma, something you picked up from your parents that no longer serves you. Maybe you served our country and have PTSD. Maybe you lost someone you loved to cancer, a car accident, addiction, or another disease or sudden accident. Perhaps you've witnessed or went through a divorce or survived domestic violence. Even if nothing traumatic has happened to you, you are likely carrying some items in your backpack that aren't yours: someone else's fears, projections, their trauma.
Once we have the awareness of these#traumpacks, then we can decide what to do with it.
However you decide to deal with your backpack, I am here to support you however I can. I'm not a doctor or anything, so take what works for you and leave the rest. I've done this work for myself and it's changed my life. Maybe it can change yours too.