Returning to Softness: Unlearning the Hustle. Reclaiming the Hush
Number 1
My morning started noisy. My husband's alarm went off and he didn't turn it off quickly. I went back to sleep.
Number 2
There's a garbage truck driver who has a habit of honking his horn in long successions whenever he reaches the front of our window. It's terrible. The noise jolts me awake. This happened several minutes after the alarm. I went back to sleep.
Number 3
About an hour after, I heard my husband open the gate and start the car to leave for work. I tried to go back to sleep but after a few minutes of peace, my phone rang. It was another Orange Rainfall Alert. But it wasn't raining, so I said, we'll go to Century City later. And closed my eyes.
During this time, my brain was already awake. I tried to go back as I've only had 6 hours of sleep, but the Sandman has already left.
I told myself I could stay in bed a little longer, maybe scroll through old posts or imagine a new one. But the stillness felt uneasy, as if the world was holding its breath. That’s when I knew — it would be one of those days.
I soothed myself saying it was okay. We're still going to the mall today. Then the heavens decided to cancel my plans with a sudden deluge.
After a few more minutes, my son got up. He said he had a tummy ache and had to use the bathroom. This spiraled into full blown diarrhea.
And with that, I stepped into what I call a storm day — when the outer weather mirrors the chaos within our home.
The Spiral
While he was doing his thing, I got up and did my morning ritual. While he was showering, I went to work:
- Cooked rice
- Refilled rice dispenser
- Started the laundry
- Took out proteins for breakfast and lunch to thaw
- Got the dry clothes from the clothesline
- Folded the dry clothes and put them in the closet
- Got some wet clothes to transfer in our room to dry (it's been raining for a week and it's a struggle to dry clothes)
The Grounding
When my son was resting, I took a shower and thought about what my friend said. I tried to slow down during my shower. Had to return to my now. I thought about what today was and said I'd do a gua sha face massage to help relax my nervous system.
My rose gua sha
Its edges are smooth, but they speak volumes. One stroke across my cheekbones and I remember: softness is not weakness. It is wisdom made visible.
Eunyul Hydrating Hyaluron Sheet Mask
Sometimes I use oils for the massage, but today I chose to use a sheet mask.
Given the state of my face today - angry, rashy, red, I chose this mask:
Eunyul Hyaluron Sheet Mask
(I tested a new combination of products for two days and instead of healing, my face flared up even more.)
First Impressions
This is the first time I used this brand and this kind of sheet mask. The mask itself is thick and is the right size for my face. Have you noticed that some masks are too big? This fit perfectly well.
The scent is nice and refreshing, like a relaxing inhale even as the drums of heaven were banging loudly outside. For a moment, I forgot the stress brought about by my son's 3rd bathroom trip.
I proceeded with the massage. That helped me ground a little. I left the sheet mask on for 15 minutes, my usual time. When the alarm rang, I removed the mask and touched my face gently. Hmm... A lot of the product was absorbed by my skin. No itching. No redness. Exhale.
I'm glad I bought the whole box.
Food as medicine
I use food as medicine in our home. We rarely get sick because I invest a lot in food. I'm very particular with what goes in our bodies. Make no mistake though, we indulge from time to time, and we are not snobs to fast food or chips. The key here is balance.
After my after-shower ritual, I asked my son if he wanted some congee instead of the sausage patties I had planned for breakfast. He said yes. Fortunately, there was some leftover cooked chicken breast fillet in the fridge.
Pro Tip: I always prepare ingredients ahead of time so that I can whip up something quickly, given my very hectic daily schedule.
Unlearning the Hustle
While I was cooking, some of the broth splattered on my chinos, I realized that I was still on auto-pilot and that I wasn't wearing an apron. My subconscious was telling me that I needed to slow down, to do things properly. Not to rush, but to do things at the right pace.
I was still functioning on my old programming and that needed to stop. Now.
I took a deep breath, wiped off my chinos, wore my apron and moved slower. I said out loud that it's funny how a worn out apron could ground me and gently pull me back to the present. These small things in my daily life help me stay grounded and stay soft.
A bowl of comfort with healing ingredients to nourish our gut on this rainy Thursday morning
During breakfast, my son had to go to the bathroom again. Old Mama Bear me would have panicked by this time, but I'm wiser now and more educated. More trained. More experienced.
I remained calm. I told him that this was his body's way of purging everything that doesn't serve him. My son was also calm. I've trained him well not to panic or worry whenever he doesn't feel well.
I gave him more of my healing remedies after he finished eating.
As I type this, he's checking satellite maps on his laptop and playing a game on his phone. He's tracking the typhoons. He's my personal meteorologist. Even friends who need to travel ask for his weather forecast before they book a flight or leave. He's pretty spot on with his predictions. He even coded a system to help him predict the weather. It's called Storm Scout, but is inactive now. He said he's moved on to bigger things.
He's happy, healthy, and active. No signs of dehydration. He finished his bowl of congee. He's taking it easy today. I told him not to study. He is homeschooled, but is doing mostly independent work now. He insisted that he's going to do some coding.
I believe that children should be allowed to rest or play when they are sick or hurt, no matter how light or heavy the cause is. Yesterday, he cut his finger , and I allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Turns out, he studied and finished his tasks. In my experience with my son, he heals faster and regains his strength faster when I let his mind and body relax and enjoy the day. I checked on the finger this morning, and you could hardly see the cut. It closed up overnight and there was no dried up blood.
I believe that joy and love are very potent medicines, and I've been pouring them on him since yesterday.
Saw this book in our library and thought that it will give him more inspiration for the project he's working on. He'll still be learning while resting. And having fun.
Reclaiming the Hush
When things quieted down, I sat down at my desk to compose this blog entry. I looked at my newly manicured nails and saw that 2 are already chipped. Deep sigh.
Inhale...2...3...4..
Exhale...2...3...4..
I looked at my Muji organizer filled with products, took out my current favorite hand cream that's on it's last legs and lovingly applied them to my hands. I'm sorry for rushing you today, hands. Here's some love.
Inhale..2..3..4..
Exhale..2..3..4..
I stare at my hands again. And I decided to give it more love by applying some rose cuticle oil.
Inhale..2..3..4..
Exhale..2..3..4..
I looked at my Muji organizer again and saw Moonrise. I opened it and inhaled - exhaled slowly for five times, savoring the scents, allowing them to work their magic on my nerves, on my heart, on my mind, on my body.
It's 3 pm and I'm not rushing to make lunch. I'm all curled up at my desk with my knitted throw that reminds me of snow-covered pine trees, embracing me.
The rain still falls.
But the hush has returned.
And so has my softness.
I’m learning that peace is something I choose — again and again, even on the loud days.
May you choose your peace today.
Slowly. Lovingly.
And if you need a little help, you’ll find pieces of mine right here.
About the Author
Lady E is a CPR, AED, and First Aid certified wellness practitioner and an internationally certified coach in health, nutrition, and natural body healing. Once a professional makeup artist, she’s now a guide for women seeking beauty, rhythm, and ritual in everyday life. Through her blog, she gently opens the doors to a soft, intentional lifestyle — one steeped in sensory joy and sacred pauses. Her words are balm for the weary and sparks for the dreamers. She’s been blogging since 2009 and returned after a decade-long pause to raise her son — bringing with her not just stories, but soul.
Watch this space — one day, she might bottle that hush.
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