“Bubba girl touched me!” 🎢

My son, my perfect little mirror, screams, “Bubba girl touched me!!!!” 

I watched it happen. She gently grazed his kneecap. It was an accident.

I’m stifling a laugh, because I know he’s truly distraught. And I know this is the tip of the iceberg to some harder feelings, like jealousy or powerlessness or simply needing sleep but unwilling to yield bc you know, FOMO. (We’re not that distinct from our three year olds are we?).

But it is ridiculous, right?

Well yeah, but then someone I love says something mildly critical to me, in some area that I’m highly attached to my identity, or expectations, or unconfident in taking care of myself. And I scream the socially acceptable, 38 year old equivalent of “Bubba girl touched me!”

Here’s an obvious realization I had recently (aren’t all realizations completely unthinkable before, and obvious after we have them?): I’m very sensitive.

In fact, I trained myself to be very sensitive. I spent twenty years meditating ‘on the cushion’ and fifteen years in Relatefulness getting better and better at perceiving and welcoming everything in experience in all its gory, glorious detail.

When we’re with each other, helping each other be more Relateful, are we also training ourselves to be playful? To regulate our bodies with breath, movement, etc (instead of assessing threats)? To identify with existence (instead of assuming our value lies in performance or a particular identity?) Letting go of our expectations on others? (rather than demanding they communicate with us a certain way?)

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With love, Jordan