A Sassiverse Book
You do not have to figure it out while you are falling.
Sometimes something happens and, before we even know what we are feeling, it seems like we cannot get our feet back underneath us.
Begin the StoryEverything Was Moving Along
Maybe it is a perfectly ordinary day.
You know where your feet are.
You are moving along.
Then something happens.
Something Hits the Trail
Someone says something you were not expecting.
Something does not go the way you hoped.
You make a mistake.
Someone gets angry.
You feel embarrassed, left out, hurt, confused, frightened, frustrated...
Or maybe you do not have words for it at all.
You just know you cannot seem to get your feet back underneath you.
Thoughts Start Tumbling
Not the scary kind where you are actually falling out of the sky.
The kind where your brain cannot seem to find solid ground.
Maybe your heart is pounding.
Maybe you want to yell.
Maybe you cry.
Maybe you go completely quiet.
Maybe your thoughts are moving so quickly you cannot catch any of them.
The question is not whether you should be feeling this way.
The question is simply:
Can I get my feet back underneath me?
Check Your Footing
You may not need the Parachute.
You still have your footing.
You may be able to listen, ask a question, say what you need, choose a fence, or simply keep going.
You do not have to pull a Parachute just because there is a Rock.
I still have my feet.
You cannot quite get your feet underneath you.
Your thoughts may be spinning too quickly to sort through what is happening.
You may feel pulled toward answering, fixing, explaining, reacting, or deciding right now.
You do not have to.
Parachute?
Shared Language
When your thoughts are tumbling, you may forget that the Parachute is even there.
Someone who cares about you can remind you.
“Parachute?”
“Do you think you need your Parachute?”
“Your Parachute is here if you want it.”
A parent can remind a child.
A child can remind a parent.
A friend, partner, teacher, grandparent, or someone else you trust can remind you too.
Someone can remind you that you have a Parachute.
You decide whether to pull the cord.
Ready?
WHOOSH!
Take a breath.
Something Important Just Changed
Did the Rock disappear?
Nope.
Did every thought stop?
Probably not.
Did you suddenly know exactly what happened, how you feel, and what everyone should do next?
Almost certainly not.
But you do not have to solve anything while you are falling anymore.
The Parachute gives you time to breathe.
Time for your thoughts to tumble without turning every thought into a decision.
Time before you answer.
Time before you apologize.
Time before you explain.
Time before you decide what any of it means.
“I don't know yet” is allowed.
Give Yourself a Pause
The conversation may still be happening.
Someone may still want an answer.
You may feel like you need to explain, fix something, defend yourself, make a decision, or figure everything out right now.
But if you are spinning, you may not be ready to do any of those things yet.
The Parachute gives you permission to pause.
And sometimes you need words to help you make that pause.
“I need a minute.”
“Can we pause?”
“I need to think about this.”
“Let me come back to you.”
“I'm not ready to answer yet.”
“Can we finish this conversation later?”
You do not have to know what you need next.
Right now, you are simply giving yourself enough time to find your footing.
You Made Some Time
The Rock may still be there.
You may still be upset.
You may still have questions.
None of that means the Parachute did not work.
The Parachute was never supposed to make the problem disappear.
It gave you a pause.
Check In Again
You can feel your footing again.
That does not mean you have to be happy about what happened.
It does not mean the problem is solved.
It means you have enough of yourself back to think about what you need.
Maybe you can return to the conversation.
Maybe you have a question.
Maybe you know what you want to say.
Maybe you realize you need some space.
I can choose what comes next.
Your thoughts are still tumbling.
You may still be replaying what happened, imagining what someone meant, trying to solve everything, or getting more worked up.
You do not have to keep working on the Rock while you are spinning.
Your brain may need some room to process in the background.
Sunny Spot?
Still Spinning?
A Sunny Spot is something that helps you slow the spinning and find your footing.
There is no correct Sunny Spot.
Your Sunny Spot can be somewhere you actually go, something you do, someone you spend time with, or even somewhere you visit in your imagination.
Check Again
Maybe yes.
Maybe not yet.
You are not racing anyone.
You do not have to leave your Sunny Spot because someone else thinks you have been there long enough.
If You Remember Only One Thing
Something happened.
Am I spinning?
Can I get my feet back underneath me?
If I can, I may not need my Parachute.
I can stay with myself, think, listen, ask, speak, or choose what I need.
If I cannot find my footing, I do not have to figure this out while I am falling.
Pull the Parachute.
Pause.
Give yourself a minute.
Then check again.
Still spinning?
Find a Sunny Spot and give your brain some room.
When your feet are underneath you again, reassess.
Maybe you are ready to return.
Maybe you need something different.
You do not have to know until you have enough footing to choose.
When You Are Ready
You do not need to follow any of them right now.
There are more books waiting whenever you are curious.
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