#1: TIME Paradox
Sentence Stems:
Time is…
When it comes to time in motherhood, I…
The moments that feel too fast are…
The moments that feel too slow are…
Time feels different to me when…
Visualization
Read slowly, pausing between each section
Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Let your body settle into this moment.
Imagine you're your 80-year-old self, looking back at this exact day in your life. See yourself with the wisdom of decades, the perspective that only comes with time.
What does your older self want to tell you about this season of motherhood? What does she see that you might be missing in the daily rush?
Now imagine you could step into this day with her eyes - seeing the sacred in the ordinary, the fleeting beauty in the chaos.
Picture one moment from this week - maybe it was stressful or frustrating at the time. See it now through the lens of your 80-year-old self. What becomes precious when viewed this way?
Feel both truths at once: the realness of your current struggles AND the knowledge that you'll miss parts of this someday. You don't have to choose between them.
Place one hand on your heart. Whisper to yourself: "I can be tired AND grateful. I can want this phase to pass AND miss it when it's gone. Both feelings are true, and both are okay."
Take three more deep breaths, holding both the difficulty and the beauty of this moment, and gently open your eyes.
Creative Prompts:
Art Journal Prompt: Draw or paint what time looks like.
Is it rushing? Dragging? Swirling? Heavy? Light? create a visual representation of that feeling using:
Colors that match the energy of time
Lines or shapes that show the movement (or stillness) of time
Textures that capture how time feels - smooth, jagged, soft, sharp
Any symbols or images that represent your current relationship with time
Written Prompt: Write your own version of the poem and then a letter from your 80-year-old self to you today.
Reflection Questions:
What shifted when you imagined viewing your current life through the eyes of your 80-year-old self? What became more precious or meaningful?
How does it feel to hold both the difficulty of this season AND the knowledge that you might miss it someday?
Looking at your art and/or letter, What would change if you approached one daily routine with the eyes of your future self?