I wish I could say I’ve accepted all of this with grace and strength, and in some ways I surprised myself with that response, but not with everything. Thanksgiving Day was especially hard. It was the first of the significant unmet expectations in this season and the day passed by feeling very much like any other day caring for Mummy ji. I ended the day in tears. The next day as I was scrolling Instagram, I happened upon a liturgy from the pen of Liturgies for a Life Abroad that spoke to me. It spoke to me so deeply (especially paragraph 5) that I want to repost it here to remember and come back to as I’m sure there will be many more unmet expectations in the future. And maybe you need it in this season (or a future one), too.

As we were taking bags to the car and getting ready to leave for the hospital, I impulsively grabbed my Family Essentials kit from dōTERRA, more so for me incase I got a headache or needed help to fall asleep, and I’m so glad I did! We used 9 of those 10 oils is so many ways I didn’t expect during her hospital stay! (There’s a reason why this kit is known as the top 10 most used essential oils from dōTERRA!) So today I’m sharing how I used essential oils during a hospital stay in India and why I would never go without them again!

As timelines get elongated, it feels like a sick joke - one that’s frustrating and painful and exhausting making me want to cry and yell and curl up in a ball until its over. I wonder why some seasons get extended, why God seems to want me in this place for longer than I want to be, why there isn’t an end in sight.