“I went up to the mirror, opened my gown and thanked my breasts”

Hazel is a mum to four, one of which is Beth herself. She has been married to her husband for 57 years and together they have seen 11 grandchildren grow up before them. Hazel is a singer, author and counsellor living in East Sussex.

My mum. Just saying that brings a swell of tenderness. Having her step into the bath with me felt like such an honour and also like stepping into a very exposed place. Our relationship is good, loving, steady… and yet nearly half a century of shared life means there are layers, silences and old family patterns that could easily tug at us.

But at this moment, we chose something different. We chose to sit together, open to whatever might rise, trusting that we could meet it with dignity, with grace, with the kind of courage that only grows between two people who have lived a lot of life side by side.

It felt like a soft rewriting of something old.

Want to listen to more conversations from the bath? Find the podcast, explore more episodes and connect with Beth here:

👀 Watch this episode of Biting Lemons: https://youtu.be/NTv0AVyW2r8

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Hazel wrote a book about how to look after your guts and the importance of doing so. A vital message. I want to celebrate that with anyone who has children in their family or friend circles:
Gran’s Guide to Good Guts: My Friend Mikey (Find it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.it/Grans-Guide-Good-Guts-Friend/dp/1739855701)

Want to learn how to listen and connect with people from all walks of life like Beth does? You might have noticed us mentioning the ART Affiliate link. We highly recommend their training for everyone who wants to improve their communication and understanding of each other. The ART International courses are there to help you nourish your relationships and the world around you.

It’s easy and accessible, online and in person, across the world. On behalf of this world, thank you for wanting to be better!

Get a 5% discount on Level 1 ART courses. Use our code BL:
https://authenticrelating.co/courses/level-1/artpartner/BethHardwick/