Betty Bubbles

My latest post on single parenting, the depth of menstrual cycle tracking, and how to 'kinda' find a rythm in the chaos. Sharing my experience of stepping back out on my own, with a toddler in tow.



https://www.innertemple.com.au/post/how-to-find-some-sort-of-balance-as-a-single-mum-with-the-help-of-menstrual-cycle-tracking

Yesterday I was blowing bubbles with the Stay Sharp program in Perth, a brilliant program for seniors to connect with each other and try new things.

I have always felt that bubbles brought people together, it's a space where one has the opportunity to explore coming back into the moment, and just enjoying what is, right now.

Bubbles, community, belonging, creating connections, sharing stories and enjoying magical moments together.

After the session I received a big bag of origami cranes from Lina, originally from Finland. ❤️

I use these now with my daughter when she feels sad. I get her to stand up, and I tip the whole bag over her head, showering her with colourful birds. We then pick out individual cranes and name them with the people we love.

After that, we both feel so much better 😊❤️

Thank you so much for having me yesterday, I am touched beyond words to have shared such a profound and beautiful morning with all of you!

This is a picture of Standing Holy, who is listed as Sitting Bull's daughter. It brings to mind the traditional Oceti Ŝakowiŋ style of parenting. The first time that Sitting Bull traveled and observed non-Native people spanking their children, he was shocked.
There was never a need to continually scold a child, belittle them, or strike them. They cuddled their children from birth to about seven because they believed crying wasn't good for children.
Often, if a child did not stop crying, some grandmothers would cry along with them to help them get over whatever had made them sad.
At an early age, they begin to take on the responsibility of their clothing and bedding. Our people traveled with the buffalo and had to be mobile. By the age of 10, most of our children knew how to take care of the materials needed for travel.
Love, teaching, structure, and community raised our children.
Colonization tells us that physical discipline helps shape our children and turn our boys into men. Yet, without ever being spanked, we produced the greatest warriors that ever walked this land.
Our lifeways and ceremonies through the different stages of life were more valuable than anything colonization offered.

You know when your partner says he has to stop somewhere on the way home from work and the text comes through in the shape of a knife?It's not because you're incapable.

It's because you've been at capacity since 11:00am, and they really do feel like the longest 10 minutes of your life.

You know when someone asks after the kids but you also wish they'd ask how you were doing? You're the one holding it together, the one unpacking bags, thoughts and feelings.
It's not because you're selfish.

It's because the mother needs mothering too.

You know how you don't get the invite sometimes and it's probably because you say "no" a lot. And so you feel a little empty and resentful?
It's not because you're being petty.

It's because you want people to see you through all the unseen, even if you forget to see yourself.

You know how you keep numbers in your head like birth weights and play dates, milestones and appointments, and you find it hard to hand any of it over?
It's not because you're a control freak.

It's because it has always fallen on you, and even though you have a supportive partner, you know you'll somehow always carry that weight.

You know how you flip your head forward in the morning and tie your hair into something that resembles goodness knows what, and someone mentions something about self care?
It's not because you're not trying.

It's because maybe their village looks different to yours.

You know how they say to enjoy every minute, but you're literally giving so much of your energy right now. This is what happens when you become a mother. You give and you give and you give until it feels like there's not a lot left.
It's not because you're ungrateful.

It's because this is the reality some days, this is a season.

We are held when we're small, but sometimes not enough when we feel small.

I know, because same.
https://bumpbox.com/50off

Author: Jess Urlichs
Artist: This Mama Doodles

Katharine Hepburn’s childhood, in her own words.
“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.
Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.
There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.
The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.
The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armour." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.
The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.
The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.
The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."
The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.
He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."
My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.
Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.
That day I learnt the value to Give.
The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.
The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasised because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”
~ Katharine Hepburn

“This was built in 1912, right?”

“Yep, 1912.”

“Just think, mom: some kid over a hundred years ago sat in this seat, in this room. And maybe he was just like me, and we would have been friends. But he’ll never know I was here.” Her face took on an uncharacteristic furrowed expression.

“I know.”

“That’s so sad…” she looked at the desk top.

“It is. It IS sad.” And it was.

We looked around at the empty desks, most of which were reproductions, as the scent of dust and old wood settled around us. Our family was milling around, new visitors were creaking through the old school house, but I had this moment with her—right now—surrounded by memories of people long gone.

This is where it starts: with historical empathy.

I would take a child with historical empathy over a child who only had good test-taking abilities, because historical empathy has staying power. Historical empathy promises a lifetime of interest, grappling with weighty philosophical questions, and compassion towards people of the past.

Historical empathy is born out of personal interest, and if nurtured carefully, will reap the benefits of self-education the rest of her life.

She will notice the past…everywhere she goes in the present.

I had to capture it.

“Can I take your picture?”

“Sure, mom.”

It was the best history lesson we ever had together.

It is a grave injustice to a child or adult to insist that they stop crying. One can comfort a person who is crying which enables him to relax and makes further crying unnecessary; but to humiliate a crying child is to increase his pain, and augment his rigidity. We stop other people from crying because we cannot stand the sounds and movements of their bodies. It threatens our own rigidity. It induces similar feelings in ourselves which we dare not express and it evokes a resonance in our own bodies which we resist. ~Alexander Lowen

(Book: The Voice of the Body https://amzn.to/46fF51t)

(Art: Photograph of Jennie Magill comforting her crying daughter by Grey Villet)

Blowing bubbles from a rooftop today, for a very special birthday celebration 🩵

I love what I do, for many reasons. The main thing I love, is the people I get to meet on my travels, hearing what these special souls have to share. Bubbles, in my view, have the subtle power of bringing people together ❤️

Because really, it's through the stories shared, where we are gifted an opportunity to learn something, come to a new awareness or insight, that may not have been available to us, prior to that moment.

Do you remember the first live band you watched? The first touch of a loved one? The first bite of a strawberry in perfect season? All of these moments, the senses, bring you into the present.

Less is more in those moments. The subtle but enormous impact of something that you'll remember for the rest of your life, a puzzle piece of the construction of who you are ❤️

I see children in this light. Less is more. Give a child (or adult even) too much, and the senses may go dull.

Give a child (or adult) a little less, and let the mind explore and imagine, and give it time. Time for the intuitive, rather than the overloaded stimulation.

Time to ponder, time to play, time to create.

The human spirit has a knack for surmounting incredible feats, with sometimes, incredibly little. Almost so little, that it makes you wonder how the hell they did it.

It's a kind of magic.

That's what bubbles are to me. A sweet bridge from a world of doing and achievement, 24/7 lifestyle, to the realm of innocence, slow movement, presence and purity.

It's what you choose to see in your mind, that matters. It's what you feel deeply in your heart, that shapes you.

🫧🌈🌌
X
Betty Bubbles

Such a wonderful day today at Beverley Agricultural Show 🌿❤️

When we are young, it’s the illusion of perfection that we fall in love with. As we age, it’s the humanness that we fall in love with- the poignant stories of overcoming, the depthful vulnerability of aging, the struggles that grew us in karmic stature, the way a soul shaped itself to accommodate its circumstances. With less energy to hold up our armor, we are revealed and, in the revealing, we call out to each other’s hearts. Where before wounds turned us off, they are now revealed as proof that God exists. Where we once saw imperfect scars, we now see evidence of a life fully lived. ~Jeff Brown

(Book: Love It Forward https://amzn.to/3OzGfNY)

Man with a Pram - this is going to be gorgeous :) see you there? ❤️

**PAID WORK - looking for children's entertainment - please share**

Asking on behalf of Beverley Agricultural Show on the 19th August.

Unfortunately, side show alley pulled out last minute and they need extra performers and fun activities for the children.

Lora Flora maybe you can set up one of your eco activities? Louise Snook maybe you have something fun up your sleeve? Gaea Asteria Anastas perhaps you might have something wonderful or know someone? Peter Sharp you might know some magical entertainers?

Please do share ❤️

You will have to email John direct here, [email protected] if you are interested. It will be paid work.

Many thanks 🤗❤️

“I've seen women insist on cleaning everything in the house before they could sit down to write... and you know it's a funny thing about housecleaning... it never comes to an end. Perfect way to stop a woman. A woman must be careful to not allow over-responsibility (or over-respectabilty) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs, and raptures. She simply must put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she "should" be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Anders Zorn - Baking Bread, 1889.

It is a grave injustice to a child or adult to insist that they stop crying. One can comfort a person who is crying which enables him to relax and makes further crying unnecessary; but to humiliate a crying child is to increase his pain, and augment his rigidity. We stop other people from crying because we cannot stand the sounds and movements of their bodies. It threatens our own rigidity. It induces similar feelings in ourselves which we dare not express and it evokes a resonance in our own bodies which we resist. ~Alexander Lowen

(Book: The Voice of the Body https://amzn.to/46MpeIY)

(Art: Photograph by Felicity Aitken)

We need all the reminders we can get in this busy society ❤️

Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself. ~William Martin

(Book: The Parent's Tao Te Ching https://amzn.to/44jz5UK)

(Art: Photograph by Nell Dorr)

Add a bit of magic and wonder to your living space ❤️✨️ www.bettybubbles.com.au

Acknowledging the single parents who are doing their best to juggle the insane amount of responsibilities every single day.

Sorry for my delayed responses to emails and messages, there is a good reason why, and my heart goes out to other single parents doing the work.

These pictures were taken last weekend. My daughter and I had just gotten over a cold, daycare had to close and the babysitter cancelled due to illness.

Thankfully, due to having a gorgeous client, I was able to take my daughter to work with me for this particular occasion when I literally had no one else to help. It really wasn't ideal, but the flexibility was was very welcome offering.

That night after the booking, I came down with a fever, and for the next week, daycare would continue to be closed.

As parents, we are constantly pushed to our full capacity and it REALLY does take a village to raise a child.

And being a single mum, running a business and being the main care taker to the most amazing little human, is just surface sharing. What goes on between the lines, within the gaps, is the reality, the beauty, the confrontation, the guilt, the joy and the overwhelm. The growth.

I adore what I do and that I have been able to pull it off and raise a kid, but this single parent life is a quiet one.

To all of the parents out there who feel the push, who continue every single day to show up and try their best, you are not alone.

Thank you to Lynette for these stunning photos.

www.bettybubbles.com.au
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