KAREN WALROND :: CHOOKOOLOONKS
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KAREN WALROND :: CHOOKOOLOONKS
leadership consultant • speaker • author • quiet activism champion

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May 16, 2010
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i know exactly what she means

Karen WalrondMay 16, 20107 Comments
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bonus shots: self-portrait outtakes

Karen WalrondMay 15, 2010
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daily light

Some people get massage for self-care. Me, I get henna, specifically from Soniya at her @originalhennacompany. Although Soniya is a scientist, she and her family have been doing henna for generations. Her business has been a go-to destination for South Asian and Middle Eastern brides all over Houston. I love going to her for times when I feel a transition happening in my life - often my birthday, but also times like now when I feel like my life is at the cusp of an evolution in some way. There’s something about connecting with Soniya while she makes her art (usually inspired by what I tell her is going on in my life), while I feel the cool henna being applied to my skin, and its smell: a combination of eucalyptus and other delicious scents. It’s so restorative. Thanks so much, Soniya. May your own upcoming sabbatical be as healing and restorative - and a wonderful, wonderful adventure! ✨
When Hurricane Harvey happened, and our city was devastated by the flooding, a common refrain about the recovery that lay ahead was “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” And intellectually, I knew this to be true, and smugly thought to myself: “I got this.” And I DID have this: I only cried once, about 3 weeks after the storm, but other than that, I steeled my spine, put my head down, and we got to it. I found an apartment for us to stay. We found a builder. We established routines quickly, so Alex could find her footing in her last year of middle school, and soar. And for the most part, it has all worked out great. But - and here’s the truthbomb - I’ve noticed lately that in all this movement forward, 2 weeks shy of one year later, I’m still dealing with the trauma of everything that happened. I look at photos of myself, and just by looking at my face without any other context, I can tell which images of me were captured before Harvey, and which were captured after. I’ve become sick and resentful of this apartment - intellectually, I understand that we’re lucky to have this space, but it has never felt anything but temporary for us, and as we’ve slowly collected furniture and other items for our new home, it has begun to feel like we’re living in a storage closet. The constant “are you back in your house yets” followed immediately by the “well just be patients” are starting to wear thin. So. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to focus really hard on self-care — moving more, taking care of my skin, drinking tons of water, that sort of thing — and to some extent, it’s been helping. But Marcus, Alex and I are really just ready for this adventure to be over. Hopefully only a few more months to go.
A view of the Caribbean Sea - goodness, I miss it! Unrelated: any questions you’d like me to tackle on the #makelightshow? Leave them in the comments, or email me at karen@chookooloonks.com - I’d love to hear what’s on your mind!
Kraken rose?
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