Do you know that ants make great listeners?

Yesterday I sat on the basement floor pouring my heart out to the ants that have moved in to my house. You don't need to worry - I have an almost rational explanation! I live in an old house and there is a small crack in the floor where we had some sort of valve installed last year to keep water from getting into our basement in the event that the storm sewers back up. (Hello, climate change.) A few weeks ago I noticed a little ant hill on the crack. I was in the middle of running back and forth to the hospital and so I did what any reasonable person would do - I ignored it. Getting to the store to get ant traps that are cat friendly is very low on my list of things to do right now. And I think the ants were happy about my decision. Word spread in the ant kingdom and now there are a few ant hills happily thriving in my basement. In fact, it is starting to look like a sandbox in one spot. I realize I can’t keep avoiding dealing with this situation. As I thought about it, I started thinking about how unfair life can be. Yes, I have a real low threshold when it comes to having my life disrupted. The ants triggered a full on pity party. And then I remembered an interview I did with Mary Reynolds last year on Reframe Your Life. I started thinking about how she shared a story about a slug problem in her garden. At the time I thought her actions were a little dubious but that was then. I am way more enlightened now. She fixed her problem by talking to the slugs. She told them what plants they could have and asked them to stay away from the others. And they did. So, I decided to give it a try. Maybe if I went and talked to the ants they would understand and move on. And I didn't want to just tell them to go, I wanted them to understand the seriousness of the situation. So, I told them everything that has been going on. There were tears. They listened quietly. They are actually good listeners. I haven’t gone down to check today because I want to believe they are gone. I'm holding on to the magic. I also know if they are still there I’ll be pouring out my heart to some kid at Home Depot and there is potential that will be even more troubling. If you’ve ever cried in front of a random stranger in a retail store you know what I mean. It’s the little things that can put us over the edge. In the middle of dealing with a stressful situation or life change someone pulls into a parking spot that we clearly were waiting for and we go all ‘Towanda.’ Here's the truth: I’m embracing this crazy unsettled season I am in. I’m good with the unusual behaviour that goes along with it. I’ve been through crisis before. In the past I put enormous pressure on myself to look like it was business as usual. It isn’t. It's survival mode. And I am doing what I need to do. How about you? Are you in a difficult time in your life? Are you experiencing a life transition? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Can you embrace that you may act differently right now? Living a soul-centered life means you recognize this time and honour yourself. Give yourself a break. Talk to the ants. I promise I won't judge you.