Chesa Cofini

I’ve been busy in this life trying to check all the right boxes. Devoted daughter, check. Collegiate athlete, check. Advanced degree, check. Homeowner, check. Corporate warrior juggling single parenthood & a bicoastal blended family. Check, check, check. If I’m doing all the right things, why do I feel disconnected and anxious all the time? Why do my emotions (fear, frustration, overwhelm, even joy) scare the crap out of me? A few years ago I was mindlessly driving home from work. Talking on the phone. Distracted by the 100 remaining to dos. Crossing over 3 lanes of traffic a car struck me from the side. My car spun and flipped. The spinning lasted only moments but dang was that a familiar feeling. My life had been spinning well before the collision. When the spinning stopped, I could sense chaos everywhere. I couldn’t see past the air bags, but I could hear people crowded around. Emergency vehicles in the distance. I trusted the voice of a stranger to guide me out of the vehicle and saw that my car had landed within feet of a residential home. I surveyed the scene with an over-powering awareness. Checking boxes will only lead to more suffering. I must find another way.