Hi,
It's Bernadette Pleasant and welcome to Nightfall Nourishment.
Caretakers rest.
The one who holds now held.
Come here.
Come here,
Beloved one.
You who hold so much.
You who listen for every sound in the night and day.
You who rise before the sun and lie down long after it sets.
You who are always watching.
Always preparing.
Always protecting.
Tonight,
Let us prepare you to be held.
Set the world down now.
Let all the doing stop.
Let your shoulders drop as if someone you trust has placed warm hands on them.
Release your jaw.
Unclench your belly.
Let the air grow still around you.
The ones you care for are safe for this moment.
And you,
You deserve safety too.
You deserve to be cared for.
You deserve rest.
Pull up the covers.
Tuck yourself into your own softness.
This is your time now.
You've poured out so much.
Now,
You get to be poured into.
In through the nose.
Feel the cool air fill your nostrils.
Again,
In fully.
Let's begin.
You have held much today.
Held medications and meals.
Held appointments and conversations.
Held emotions that were not yours but became yours anyway.
I see you.
You've held the schedules,
The fears,
The tiny details no one else even saw.
You held it all.
But tonight,
Beloved,
You don't have to hold.
Tonight,
The holding belongs to the universe.
The holding belongs to something ancient,
Something vast,
Something sacred.
You may release.
Feel your body nestle into the bed like a child curling into the lap of love itself.
Let the mattress receive your weight.
Let the earth beneath you whisper,
You don't.
There's no need to be alert tonight.
No need to listen for footsteps or coughs or calls.
For this moment,
You are free to rest.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Feel your breath rise.
You have given your breath to others all day,
Breathing for them,
Worrying for them,
Praying for them.
Now you breathe for you.
Say softly to yourself,
I am safe.
The world does not fall apart when I release.
I release now.
Allow the tension to melt from your forehead.
Your eyes,
Your jaw,
Your hips,
Your legs.
You do not need to brace for what may come.
You do not need to plan or anticipate.
There is nothing to manage in this moment.
Your dignity was not given by the world.
Even when unseen,
Unthanked,
Or unacknowledged,
Your worth remains intact.
The labor of care does not diminish your sacredness,
It magnifies it.
As you continue to soften,
Receive these truths.
It is safe to rest.
I am cared for as I care for others.
My rest nourishes me and those I love.
Beloved caretaker,
Allow sleep to carry you now.
May your body soften.
May your spirit exhale.
May your dreams replenish you.
And may you awaken tomorrow full of the quiet strength that lives within you.
You are safe.
You are home.
