funk [fuhngk] (noun) 1.a dejected mood
“Mom, You don’t even look pretty any more. You need to get a shower and put on some make up. Why don’t you put on something cute- and let’s go do something fun?!” Our 11 year old daughter, Amy immediately felt terrible for her brutal observation, but in all fairness she was right. I was in a funk.
Ever since my mom’s shocking death months earlier I had gone into hibernation mode- spending most of my days at home, in my hideous navy blue sweat pants.
Whenever catastrophe hits~ whether it’s a shattered relationship, losing someone you love or a financial disaster, the default response for many of us is to hyper-focus on the crisis and forget about everything else.
I was grateful for Amy’s wake up call that day. She reminded me that even in my funk I needed to find a way to keep on living and caring for the people I loved most.
Are you in a funk? Maybe one of these ideas will help.
* Lose the navy blue sweats. For you it might be the embarrassing at-home outfit you wouldn’t wear to wash your car. For some reason we don’t mind giving ourselves an extreme makeover to go to work or out with friends, but will wave the white flag of surrender the rest of the time. Amy’s words inspired me. It was time to step it up a notch. Even though my circumstances hadn’t changed, I was amazed how a little gloss and some non-sweat pants could make the day a little bit brighter.
* Look for the silver lining. Just weeks after Christmas, my family gathered with friends to celebrate the life of a world class sister-in-law, Kay. We will always miss her like crazy; but even in the midst of great loss, Mike’s kids were looking for glimmers of goodness around them. Their son, Jack spoke about his mom’s connection with God growing through her courageous battle with brain cancer. In his words, ”the ultimate silver lining.” Mike’s kids would want you to know that it is OK to cry; but just as importantly it’s OK to laugh, and look for the silver linings- like their mom always did.
* Phone a friend. Social media is so awesome, it’s hard to imagine life without it. The crazy thing, though in our world of virtual friendships- is that what many of us need most when we’re in a crisis is some face to face time with a real person. Is there someone in your life who can always make you laugh? Call them for coffee, lunch or maybe a comedy show.
I love the way our three grown kids radiate comic relief, in most any situation. And on the days you look like something the cat drug in- they’re the ones to remind you to take a shower. Love you, guys.
How do you break free from a funk? Please join the conversation here!!