Bubble Buddies

Hi Sweet Friend,

I have some very bubbly posts for you in the coming weeks. Yes, you heard that right. Weeks! :D And these posts have arrived in less than a month. Can you believe it? I can’t (Hehe). But thanks to Mrs. Hyperfocus. It’s true!

As a busy momma, I know, living an unhurried life is not always easy or possible. So, I’ve decided to divide up this post into a set of three, relatively short, mini posts.

Quick side curve (get it…side note but not hehe): these posts are going to feel a little more like a word dump and a little less like the word art you’ve become accustomed to—since we first began our chats. For those of you who live life in the (relatively…) short and sweet, hold onto those reins because here we go! 😊

We are going to start today, by talking all about feelings. More specifically, our feeling friends that feel a lot like foes, until we get to know them better. And as we dive into the rest of our posts, we’ll also learn some ways to help ourselves and our little minds cope, when these tough foe friends pop in for a visit.

I know…I know…you all have been waiting for this post for quite some time (Believe me, so have I… hehe).

The long-awaited, information packed post has arrived. So, take a breath, take a seat, and take a moment to pretend with me. We are going to pretend that our God-given feelings are a bunch of beautiful, uniquely painted, bubbles. And not just any bubbles. These bubbles of ours, are all buddies, even if they’re, sometimes, hard to love.

Bubble Buddies

Let me, first, introduce you to this beautiful bubble bunch.

Our bubble buddies all look and act a little different. There are big bubbles, little bubbles, fast bubbles, slow bubbles, bubbles that shine and jiggle with joy, bubbles that soar, bubbles that hide, and bubbles that float on by. Some with ease. Some…not so much. And then there are bubbles that burst before we ever get a chance to meet them. Our bubbles are often known by their colors. Some days we have a mix of different colored bubbles and other days our bubbles seem to be one perfectly painted hue. Their colors can be clear as can be or blurry and hard to see (no rhyme intended but, of course, welcomed :). One vibrant trait of these buddies is that they love to bounce. They bounce back and forth, up and down, and all around hoping to get our full, undivided attention. Oh, and did I mention? These bubbles love to play in different ways. Day or night, rain or shine, they are sure to pop in for a visit anytime.

Psst...want to know how to arfully craft these bubble buddies? Follow The Little Mind Retreat on Pinterest or instagram. You'll find an artfully awesome activity for little minds and big minds alike. See you there!

What bubble buddies popped in to play with you today, friend? Do you know? It seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? But, often, our bubble buddies can bubble up and boisterously bounce around without us even knowing they are there. In a world full of God’s wonder but bound by the sprint of time and man’s incessant expectations, we’ve become exceptionally good at ignoring this beautiful bunch. Until they grow so big and bulky that avoiding them is no longer possible.

Have you ever let your bubble buddies build up? I know I have. And when we do that, our bubbles can get very bubbly. If we don’t take a pause and bask in those bubbles for a bit, we tend to lose the Three P’s God has graciously given us. Presence, Patience, and Peace. These P’s are crucial to protect because without them we can’t fully experience the Lord and all His wonderful creations. To keep these P’s safe, we must first get to know our bubble buddies better, by learning the way they like to play.

To start, our little minds (or big minds) must carefully take notice of all the little details (being Patiently Present is super helpful in completing this task 😉).

Let’s take a look at how a few of our bubble buddies like to play. Shall we?

Types of Play (a.k.a. Feeling Warning Signs):

Angry Bubbles	fists clenching, heavy feet stomping, loud sighing, yelling, screaming, shouting, jaw clenching, face scrunching, hair pulling, head bumping, red cheeks warming, eyes squinting, body tensing, fist forming, angry thoughts shoving
Sad Bubbles ☹	lip quivering, tears streaming, belly aching, frown making, breath hiccupping, often sleeping, fun, friends and sometimes, faith hiding, anger loving, wet cheeks burning, thought bullying
Anxious Bubbles	heart skipping, breath taking, stomach churning, hair twirling, nail biting, tummy tugging, body shaking, head aching, body sweating, mind racing, scary thoughts bossing
Happy Bubbles 😊	lips smiling, cheeks reaching, face shining, breath freeing, muscle relaxing, body wiggling, thought resting, feet dancing, mouth laughing, joy flowing, presence finding, peace restoring, patience lingering, love giving

Fun fact: Did you know, bubbles love to hide behind other bubbles? Yes, it’s true. Angry bubbles are a great example. Angry bubbles rarely, if ever, arrive alone. If you look a little closer, you’ll notice anxiety or sadness bubbles quietly hiding amidst angry bubbles, relishing their favorite game of Hide and Seek.

For greater understanding, let’s use our imagination for a moment:

A little mind decides to disobey her mother on their way into the grocery store. She impulsively let’s go of her mother’s hand, runs out into the parking lot, and happily waves to a dog poking it’s head out of a nearby car window. Her mother raises her voice, scrunches her face, and stomps her way over to the little girl. Her mother appears very angry. But is she only angry? Or is there another bubble hiding behind that angry one? More likely, an anxious bubble is quietly at play and this mother, is mostly, very worried that her little mind is going to get hurt.

Try this! Next time you are looking at an angry bubble. Ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?” The answer might surprise you 😉

Here’s another one (specific to our little minds but true for big minds too):

A little mind loses her favorite stuffy. Her little feet begin to stomp. She yells, she screams, she scrunches her face, squints her eyes, and turns a familiar shade of red. What bubble has popped in to play? At first glance, we can see an angry bubble is definitely at work—but there’s likely another bubble buddy on the scene as well. This little mind could actually be feeling quite sad and, maybe even, worried that she won’t see her stuffy friend again.

Mini side curve: Little minds often display anger and complain of tummy aches when they are sad.

So, as you can see our bubble buddies, rarely, arrive alone. Instead, they often arrive in pairs or as one bright bunch. Unless we really try to get to know our bubbles, we might miss them all together.

And, now for the hardest part of this post. We must be-friend our bubble buddies to keep our 3 P’s

safe and secure. Even the—not-so-friendly, often bumpy, and oh so noisy ones. All of our bubbles have a purpose in this beautiful story God has created for us. So, zoom out, take a pause, get to know your bubble buddies, and enjoy God’s patiently, peaceful presence.

Until next time,

                Christina

After thought of the post:

May we live a life, always be-friending our bubbles, finding beauty in the bumps, and basking in the brilliance of our almighty God.

***Even though I am an independently licensed social worker, none of the information provided to you in this blog, within my books or on my website is professional advice, diagnosis or treatment of any kind. These posts are strictly providing general information/education and are not substitutes for professional help. If you find yourself concerned about you or your child's mental health, please don't hesitate to reach out to a qualified mental health provider. All views expressed in this blog are personal and not representative of the social work profession.***

All written content @2026 by Christina Retherford. All rights reserved. Graphics created using Canva/Wix media/Unsplash Images.