Shannon PA is a comedian, corporate speaker, voice actor, event MC, benefit auctioneer.
Happy Thursday, friends, here in the Cadre Sphere. Shannon PA is a comedian, corporate speaker, voice actor, event MC, benefit auctioneer. But primarily I am the mom of an adorable 16 year old who happens to be high supports on the autism spectrum. Welcome to the conversation today.
Colleen: If you are in a position that you need to make additional space for yourself because you are mourning or grieving or sad or angry or all of those things, please do that. We have so much going on as we are giving care that I think we forget that as whole functioning human beings, all of these things that are going on in the universe also affect us.
Shannon Paul: My son is additionally misaligned because of a home modification. She says she has to use the energy to make sure that my kiddo is regulated while they're doing this modification. Paul: You can get through this for two weeks and remind yourself whatever you can.
Happy Thursday, friends, here in the Cadre Sphere. I'm going to touch my hair for a while because I just walked out of a hair appointment 20 minutes ago and then managed to in that time run into Target, that is the parking lot that I'm sitting in and also meet up with a former agent of mine. So it has been a busy 20 minutes today. So a hello and happy Thursday to everybody here in the Cadre Sphere. If you're joining me for the first time, I'm Ms. Shannon PA am a comedian, corporate speaker, voice actor, event MC, benefit auctioneer, a variety of things.
Hello Lindsay. Welcome to the conversation today. But primarily I am the mom of an adorable 16 year old who happens to be high supports on the autism spectrum. Which brings us to what we are doing here today on Caregiver Thursdays. And I will start this conversation with I know that there are a lot of things as we are doing this live. Hello Colleen. Hello. I know there are a lot of things that are going on in the universe here in our great country of America and if you are in a position that you need to make additional space for yourself because you are mourning or grieving or sad or angry or all of those things, please do that.
There is a lot that is going on right now and I think that that's a good testament to a lot of the narratives that you get on Caregiver Thursdays anyways, that we continually as caregivers have a lot of things that are going on. And we have so much going on as we are giving care to the ones that we love that I think we forget that as whole functioning human beings, all of these things that are going on in the universe also affect us. And so I have to catch myself even like this morning because my son was just having needed an extra moment and needed to reset.
And so it did take extra effort today to do what I often am able to do without that effort to allow him to reset, to figure out ways to keep him to thank you very much, Colleen. You're right. It's so hard to care for all our people and ourselves and to leave this space that I know that he needs me to be able to give him when I'm already in another hyper anxious mode. For me, because it's a complex time period and so much of our identities are not only about being caregivers but about the other things that make us who we are as human beings.
So if you have those moments and you are feeling additional emotions right now, that is valid and how you are dealing with that is how you need to deal with that. But I do encourage you to please deal with it and give yourself time and space and some sort of beverage. So I am leaning into fancy protein water right now and convincing myself that that will give me additional. Additional strength. Because not only does it have obviously a lot of some sort of coloring in it, I'm sure that that's not natural, but it also has some protein in it.
So I'm like. I'm tricking myself into thinking that it's good for me. So I told everybody last week that in addition to our normal routine, we're going through a home modification right now, which is part of the reason why my son is additionally misaligned is that we've had people in the house every day from 8am sometimes until 3:30 or 4 doing this remodel. And it's so interesting because I know that it will be better for us in the long run. And I'm watching this guy who's doing a very diligent job of putting in these doors that I said we're putting in some safety doors.
We. He. I've. I can sign to the company to do it. He is putting it in. Hello, GD lady. Appreciate you. So they're putting in the stores that I think will really help us in the long run because they also are basically kick proof. So if he's having a moment, he can have a moment. And the people will be able to safely go into one of these rooms while he works through things. So I'm waiting for them to do it. And I'm watching the gentleman that's doing the doors. And so he's been working on the doors pretty much since Monday.
And it's a full thing. So it's cut out the whole box. I mean, the whole door frame. Put in this new door frame. Make sure that that is additionally screwed into the walls. And then he started preparing the doors. And so preparing the doors if it was to me, because we're usually rushing. And I'm lucky if I even take a fully formed shower every day. Instead of just a halo, I dab some water on my face. It's watching him be very intentional about the process of putting in the stores. And that's included putting them on and then pre, like priming them and then staining them a little bit and then putting on additional stains to try and match the rest of my hallway and all of these things.
And it's so interesting to be able to watch him go through all of the steps in a process so that it has the best outcome possible. Like, it is going to look so much better than if I had DIY this myself. And that I think is interesting is it just reminded me of how little time I have to really go through all the steps in any process. And so that I'm usually. I call it jumping to the end. Like, what's the end goal? The end goal is I want to have these doors up. So I. If I left my own devices, would not have taken them down and then primed them and then stained them and then color matched the paint to match the rest of the trim and the room and the hallway.
It's in my hallway. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have done any of that because I know the way that my time works. I wouldn't have been able to do that. And I'm looking at him doing this process and I appreciate it, but I also want him out of my house as quickly as possible. And I. Because I have to use the energy to make sure that my kiddo is regulated while they're doing this modification and worry about whether my son's going to get upset and whether that's going to bleed into something else. And it's so interestingly frustrating when what we need as caregivers to be able to efficiently take care of ourselves is not in the least bit efficient.
So it's good to be able to check in with all of you. It's good to have a few minutes of peace while I'm sitting here in the car and seeing how all of you are going on. I'm curious to see what meticulous point in the process they will be in when I get home. And I'm curious to go if the fact that I'm going to take my kid through the drive through is going to give us enough time that he's almost out of the house by the time we get home. I am interested in all of those things and I'm also interested in the impermanence of this particular time period that we are in, in our micro universe that is the Ms.
Shannon Paul household. I know that this will be done within two weeks. And that feels like a really long time. It feels like a bit of. If we're going to be dramatic, it feels like forever. It's going to be forever that I need to keep Cyclone Kid regulated so that we can get the end goal that we have. And then when I am able to recover my adrenal composure, I get to remind myself, it's two weeks. You can get through this for two weeks. And I hope that you can remind yourself whatever you were in the midst of, if it's a personal remodel going on in your head, you can get through it.
You might need to have some other people help you along with it. This morning I had to remind the plumber that he had blocked my car in and he needed to move. And I had to say that more times than I'd like. But I was able to get through it. I was able to do it in a way where I didn't volcanic eruption emotionally at anybody. And I'm proud of myself and I, I'm going to after this go and grab myself unwich at Jimmy John's because that's what I'm feeling. So if you need to take some additional steps to care for yourself right now, please do that.
If you need to reach out to some folks in your circle to help give you that support that you need, please don't be so worried that they are going to judge you that you don't make the ask. At least make them have to be bold enough to tell you no and see how that works and you know, reach out to us here in the Cadre sphere. You can always contact us in the chat, all of an email and contact info there. You can always let us know if there's something particular that you're going on that you can relate to and do it.
And so the short answer to this story is hopefully by next week I don't look additionally exhausted. Hopefully I look appropriately exhausted based upon where we are in the remodel for life journey. And in the meantime, I appreciate all of you. I hope that checking in with us at least helps you a little bit to exhale and know that you are not alone in wherever you are in that journey. So. All right, wish me luck when I get home and I will see you guys all next week.
