Her Remembering
By Donna Fokes
IT WASN’T UNTIL I BECAME AN EMPTY NESTER IN MY 40’S THAT I REALISED THAT I HAD LOST MYSELF SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY.
I
had given birth to my firstborn at the age of 17. My entire adult life was spent caring for children, partners, the home, and anything else that needed caring for. And, as was sadly too common for women of my age, I had put everyone and everything before my own needs. So, when my kids left to create their own lives, I had no idea who I was or what I wanted for my life. I did know, however, that I could no longer tolerate existing the way I was. I wanted to feel alive again. I wanted to feel me. So began my journey back to self.
I started my exploration and what I realised, was that I was disconnected from my soul, my intuition. And I had accepted the patriarchal narrative that as a woman, I was not valued. I went on a personal growth journey that would see me grow so much that I no longer recognise the woman I was. To start with, I began to meditate, journal, and practice gratitude. These daily practices taught me to become still and quietened my mind chatter. And it 12
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was during the stillness that I began to hear the whispers of my soul again.
