I just had the very best birthday I’ve had in awhile. So good, in fact, that it bumped my Magnolia Waco, Texas Trip Birthday into second place!
This is the first birthday I’ve had with everyone being kind and sensitive to my HSP-ness.
Friends and family respected that I’d turned my phone off for the day to reduce anxiety moments. It relieved so much pressure from my day knowing it was perfectly fine to leave messages from well-wishers until tomorrow.
Many gifts I received were specifically selected to make my senses happy. And boy did they! Butter-soft clothing, special all-natural bath soak, pomegranate-scented body lotion (my new favorite), honey-oatmeal sugar scrub, and a gorgeous new teacup that has gems on it and a jeweled mini-spoon to go with! 💙
My Mother sent $$: I did exactly what I wanted to with it. Lol. And my Husband made certain I ate very well: cupcakes, salad, bean burritos, barbecue ribs, rolls with cinnamon butter, and baked potato. (Yum!)
He and the Co-Writer read beautiful text messages to me from my beloved creatives’ group. Talk about feels of joy! 💛
My Husband also shocked me and gifted me something my writer heart loves. A new leather Magnolia journal! Since my current one is down to 10 pages or so. I’m so glad I won’t run out those soft fabric pages! There’s so much more to write about.
But the most thought-provoking gift? It’s the book in the picture. “The Highly Sensitive Person’s Workbook: The Practical Guide for Highly Sensitive People and HSP Support Groups” by Elaine N. Aron.
It is a (big) workbook to help HSPs like me work through every area of their lives and any hurts they might’ve accumulated with or without knowing it.
Turns out, since I’m going through therapy and becoming more who I was designed and created to be, this is a perfect time to be exploring this stuff. I actually can’t wait to do the chapter on medical care and medication, since I always dread new doctors and teaching them about HSP basics and my sensitivity levels. (Actually I hate it with a passion.) I feel this book is going to be somewhat life-changing in the good way.
“You only have one life to live. Who wants to spend it being normal?”
My Husband, unsure if this comes from someplace else
Perhaps this birthday marks my learning a little lesson, too. The lesson that goes: If you are the birthday girl, and you want to spend 90% of your birthday in bed and being lazy, do it.
At first, Sweet Husband didn’t understand why I wanted to be in bed, occasionally playing games on my phone, reading, sleeping, etc., but around noon it clicked for him. All my life everyone wanted me to spend my birthday in a way that made them happy too. This year, I’ve been battling emotions, anxiety, HSP overload, and generally trying to get healthy. So of course I want to have my bed, my routine of a lazy day, my books, and my stuffed animals. (I also wanted kisses and tea from Husband. Which he gave me.) But yeah. I was really glad when he just let me rest.
I think tomorrow will be better for it.
Keviana Elliot 