30 seconds of survival during tough times: what is yours today?

[Peppermintbach]

Hi everyone,

I have a little survival idea that want to run by you all:

I’m not asking for 30 hours or even 30 minutes. I’m only asking:

If you have been going through a hard time or struggling with something (whatever that may be) what were 30 seconds of respite, reprieve or relief that you experienced today? What were you doing in those 30 seconds?

You can write as often as you like or as infrequently as you like. It also doesn’t have to be 30 seconds either. That’s just a number that I chose, because I thought it would be doable for most people. It can be more or less than 30 seconds of survival.

I would love to hear from you 🙂

I’ll start:

On my way to work, I spotted some Christmas decorations, and instantly thought “oh, that’s so pretty!”

30 seconds of relief from my troubles. 30 seconds of survival.

Background/inspiration for this thread:

I was inspired by a book that I’ve been reading. It’s based on real life events where a woman lost her husband unexpectedly, and was left both a widow & single parent overnight.

As you can imagine, she struggled with immense grief and loss, and was unsure when she would be able to see beyond it...reminders of him were everywhere, and she wasn’t sure when the pain would ever subside.

But during a work meeting, while giving a presentation (or maybe she was chairing a meeting?), in that brief period, she forgot about her loss as she was immersed in her work. Sure, of course, her grief returned (as it often does). But in that brief moment, she felt a sense of “normalcy”, if there ever was such a thing.

Okay, so maybe work won’t be your “thing” and maybe it’s not grief that you’re struggling with. Maybe it’s something else (that’s okay and valid).

What I’m getting at is recognising our capacity to survive by recalling brief moments of survival. It all adds up...

Moments when either your pain, heartbreak, loss, disappointment (whatever you’re going through) was temporarily forgotten or even subsided a little. Moments, however fleeting but nonetheless important, of survival 🙂

[Tay100]

Hi Peppermintbach

No worries at all! It can happen- I wish we had a notification system or tag system of some kind! I appreciate your kind thoughts!

Yes, I agree about the technology...and often the topics that are harder to discuss virtually are the same ones that you want to talk about with others during tough times like this! Like its hard to vent about your frustration when the wifi is breaking up, for example....I wonder what some ways to get around this would be....thoughts?

[Peppermintbach]

Hi lovely people,

As always, thank you for your insights & sharing your moments of relief & respite 🙂

Everyone is welcome to share their 30 sec, give or take, of relief, insight or respite.

Tay: Yes, I agree it can be tricky. I wonder if maybe contacting your service provider to see if they can do something about your wifi might help?

As for now, I think a lot of it is a waiting game. I look forward to the pandemic being a distant memory in the future.

I don’t know about you, Tay, but I’m going to give my family & friends the biggest hugs when we have the virus under control, & health authorities deem it safe. Technology is nice, but I really miss face-to-face contact with them.

Kindness & care to all.

Special Kind thoughts to anyone who is struggling...

Pepper

[PhoebeWings]

« You’re most welcome here any time, & while there is never any pressure to post, I hope to see you here again some time 🙂 »

😁

Thanks lovely Pepper.

When I said I’d shut up for now, it was said with a grin...that subject well and truly sorted!

30 seconds, friend sent a pic of her artwork, done in pastels.

Glorious.

I’m shamefully fighting feelings of envy.

Comparison is the killer of joy!

Meanwhile, I’ll have another dab with my paints!

[Gambit87]

My 30 seconds has been getting down to the river and watching the ducks and willy wag tails.

I've been feeling really thankful,grateful and hope for the future lately!

[Padfoot02]

Hi everyone.

How is you all? I hope you're doing alright. My 30 seconds today was being on call with my friend who I haven't seen in ages and playing Death Day for her. Her reaction was priceless, she cried from it XD. Apparently it's a really good song.

Other than that I had school work start again today and I was actually really productive in chemistry.

Okie, have fun everyone. Stay safe and whatnot.

from Padfoot

[Padfoot02]

Hi everyone,

My 30 seconds for today is two things. One is that my cat is sleeping on my feet as I write this, the second (and way more important one is that it's Rhiannon and my two month anniversary!! WOOT WOOT!!! One more whole month and I will have broken my record. To make up for the fact that we can't see each other today, I took advantage of the fact I had to duck into school yesterday to spend time together. I gave her one of my jackets and my old teddy bear. For about 4 nights beforehand I slept with the teddy bear and wearing the jacket so they had my smell on them (yeah that sounds weird).

Another thing is that Death Day (should) be getting released on major services like Spotify and iTunes on the 30th of this month.

Anyhoo, stay safe and healthy everyone.

from Padfoot.

[Padfoot02]

Hey ladies and gentlemen,

I hope you're all doing well. 27 days until Death Day is released. Fun times. My 30 seconds today was seeing that my dad had (kinda) washed my nice leather jacket for me while I was asleep which was awesome. I've still gotta give it a proper clean because one of the cats took a dump and peed on it (twice).

It kind of feels like this thread has kinda died out which is a shame, I was enjoying hearing about how everyone was doing and how they were finding joy in the little things each day. I've got a discord server I'm in that I talk on a lot but because of different time zones, there's not a lot of time for me to talk to them.

Rhiannon should have a house really soon which is awesome. I just hope she can move in before the winter gets too cold.

Anyway, as always, I hope you're all doing well and staying safe.

from Padfoot

[PhoebeWings]

Hi Padfoot,

Reading your posts, it sounds like you have some good things going on.

Brilliant 👍

I had to smile about your leather jacket and your cat using it as a toilet. Good old Dad giving it a clean!

My husband had a pair of highly prized ski boots, kept in the garage - unknown to us, the cat had taken to weeing in them. It’s not so easy getting the smell out of a boot’s Inner lining.

😼

[PhoebeWings]

Hallo to everyone here!

I’m struggling with the reality that I won’t be able to visit UK for a long time to come, it means the world to me to regularly visit my son and grandchildren, and old school friends.

This has been dragging me down and I’ve been feeling tearful over the weeks as the new reality of future travel hits home.

My 30 seconds of lifting a heavy heart came with opening a mixed seed packet for cottage garden flowers and being taken back by the diversity of the tiny seeds.
As I considered the packet’s picture of colourful cosmos and many other flower varieties - and then looked at these tiny dots and filaments in the palm of my hand - I was truly lifted by the sheer awesomeness of it all. Add water and sunshine and voila. Magic.

It’s a small thing, but it just eases the nagging pain 💕

Hope everyone is finding their way through - we’re blessed to live in a beautiful country which is safer than most 🌸

[Gambit87]

Hey everyone!

My 30 seconds was visiting a friend yesterday! Good to catch up.

Another was when I was getting a coffee this morning, the cafe owner said 'its on me today, thank you for supporting me through this'

it pulls my heart strings when people do things like that. Everytime I think to myself 'do right the right thing by people and it ends up coming back to you'.