One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind, I'm sure, where you're just sort of going through the motions, floating through your day, all as it just whizzes by you...

And then, suddenly, a thought or a word or a ... something... catches you off guard and brings you back to the moment.

That was me, today, at work. I was just working my way through the day, somewhat roboticly, and then it was lunchtime. I like to take some me-time during my lunch hour which I usually spend doing yoga with my coworker in one of our meeting rooms. Well, today I was on my own for lunch and so I decided I would do some gentle yoga and some meditating. I put my "yoga in progress" sign on the door which always ensures uninterrupted quiet time in the meeting room, laid out my mat, changed into my yoga clothes, and got myself into a nice seated posture. After 15 minutes or so, I still felt like I was going through the motions. My heart and mind just weren't into it. I laid down into a final resting pose and tried some guided meditation. This seemed to be going well until I realized I was chilly, so I pulled my towel over my chest and shoulders.

Even after warming up under the towel, though, I realized that my nipples were as hard as rocks! They were just straining against the material of my bra and against the snug-fitting yoga top I was wearing. I was annoyed by this at first, but they were so hard they were tingling, so I 'accidentally' brushed them with my palms. That felt pretty good.... too good. I enjoy attention on my nipples but it is VERY mood-based. It either feels really good or it feels a little off and it's very rarely anything in between. This was a feel-good day for nipple play so I started pinching them, rolling them between my fingers, squeezing them as hard as I could. And I could feel these little sharp sensations coursing through my body as if my nipples had a direct connection to my clit.

The more I teased, pinched, pulled, and rolled my nipples, the braver I got. I was all alone in there, after all, and the yoga sign was up. If my hand snuck a little lower, discretely... I shook myself, I was at work after all. But, the ache just wasn't going away. I was on my yoga mat somewhat behind a desk so even if the door suddenly opened.... I wouldn't be seen right away. I pulled my towel down from my chest to drape over my hips and thighs and my hand snuck down my pants, fingers slipping into my panties where I found my clit - desperate for attention.

I would play, I told myself, but I won't cum. Daddy wouldn't like it if I came without permission... but some part of me thought Daddy MIGHT actually enjoying hearing about what Her brave and naughty little girl had done at work today..... and thinking about that fueled the fire and before I knew it my fingers were tracing lazy but firm circles around my clit. And soon after that, lost in fantasy, my fingers were moving faster. My orgasm snuck up on me, caught me off guard, and I pulled my hand away in surprise. It's not usually so easy for me to get myself off without assistance! I knew I needed to stop and I focused hard on putting my thoughts on something more harmless. I'm a multiple-orgasm girl. I'm like a VERY multiple-orgasm girl. Stopping after one is sort of like driving a Lamborghini at 60mph on the Autobahn. I'm left with lingering need.... and lots of it.

But that didn't change the fact that I had to confess...

Punished

Thursday, I had a very bad day at work.

It seemed like everything was going wrong all around me and I was just scrambling to keep up, totally powerless to actually fix anything that was broken. I was frustrated, and REALLY grumpy.

I knew I was in a bad mood, so I was trying to shake it off during the drive home, coaching myself on how NOT to take it out on Syr in light of my bad habit of subconsciously picking fights with my Owner when I'm feeling bad about something else. If I'm being consciously aware and trying not to do that, I often succeed.

I tried to be quiet when I came in, and just putz about doing my usual wind-down routine. And then some little tiny thing annoyed me and I didn't keep my mouth shut about it. Ten minutes later and I know I've stepped out of line. Thirty seconds after that, I'm upstairs on the bed, crying. That moment, right when I realize I've messed up, must be the WORST moment ever. I knew I needed to pick myself up and move on, and was in the process of reaching for the bedroom door to go downstairs, when Syr came in, shutting the door behind Her.

"Are you done wallowing?" She asked and I nodded silently in reply.

"On your knees." She ordered and I looked at Her for just the briefest of moments, puzzled. "Now", She followed up and I did.

"Down." She said as She touched the back of my head, making it clear that I was to go into quiet time position: kneeling, curled over with forehead to the floor and arms stretched out in front of me. I was still close to tears haven just stopped crying moments before and could feel close all over again as I listened to the sound of Her moving to the foot of the bed. Suddenly alarmed I started to sit up to see what She was doing but Syr ordered me back down again.

She pulled my pants and panties down over my hips, exposing my bottom and I whimpered. Having my pants and panties pulled down (but still *on*) in this manner always has a potent effect on me. It makes me feel very humble and contrite as it's something I associate with punishment and this time - even more so.

"It doesn't matter how bad of a day you've had, you are NOT allowed to come home and take it out on me. Am I understood, slave?" my Owner says to me as She delivers four sharp slaps to my bottom.

"Yes, Syr." I replied sofly, tears starting to fall again.

She sat on the bed nearby and said "Come here."

I crawled over, kneeling at Her feet and burying my tear-stained cheeks against Her chest as She held me.

"Now, apologize for your behaviour." She whispered.

"I'm sorry, Syr," I whispered

"Will you be more aware of your behaviour for the remainder of the evening?"

"Yes, Syr." I answered, feeling wholly contained and also - forgiven.

Mere moments later we were chatting away doing our usual after-work thing, and no lingering emotional 'hangover' type effects remained from earlier. As my friend last weekend had described, punishment after a conflict actually provided a great deal of comfort and closure without hours of processing and/or lingering guilt. Instead, I felt firmly in my place - and very aware of my behaviour and able to let my bad mood of the day go.

My Owner and I had a very pleasant evening, afterward.

Asserting Her Ownership

Hmm, this whole asserting Her ownership more often thing is interesting. It's good and it's tough but it's mostly good.... and tough.

She's pulling rank on a lot of little things that She never used to. It's giving me pause, reminding me to check myself and.... to some degree bringing in a bit of testing. It sounds twisted, and I am fairly confident there's few who would agree with me, but the testing (to me) is a good sign. I'm feeling these new boundaries out - getting to know where they are, how close they're squeezing in on me and She's holding strong. The fact that I'm finding myself subconsciously testing means that I'm taking these changes seriously - not just seeing them as a phase.

A couple of times already this week, I have been in a ornery mood. I've been grumpy (read: hormonal) and touchy and a couple of times could have easily really gotten going on picking a fight. But She didn't hesitate to remind me that She owns me and I'm not allowed to do that and it nipped it in the bud.

This evening, after work, I had another such moment, and in hindsight it was clear that Syr was at least a little pissed off or grumpy about it and She didn't immediately or obviously assert Her Ownership but I still paused and checked myself - and I credit that pause to the more frequent reminders in general that are keeping my submission closer to the forefront of my mind.

I'm still in observation mode, to a degree, and still figuring out what this will mean for us long-term, but I'm liking the freedom that these new boundaries are providing me.

Punishment

Saturday evening, Syr and I were at a friend's house, just relaxing and getting caught up with one another.

My friend had recently had a nice visit with her Daddy and I was eager to hear all about it. In relaying some of her experiences to me, she shared a story that involved a punishment she'd received as a result of bad behaviour and the way it made her feel so loved and safe - and I started to cry of all things. Now, mind you, I was a bit hormonal at the time so the tears were probably unnecessary, but I was actually moved.

As I'm sure those of you who read my blog know, I do a lot of self-work. I do a lot of hard self-analyzing and processing to better myself, primarily for myself - through my submission to my Owner. The work is the necessary road for me regardless of what kind of a relationship I find myself in, but the relationship I share with my Owner, Daddy... Wife.... is the vehicle I choose to travel in and it is the one that affords me the safety, security, and tools that make the trip a bit easier to manage.

But, in the end, I am often hardest on myself. When I do something that I feel is wrong on a fundamental level, not just when considering the power-exchange dynamic of my relationship, I am often plagued by guilt and self-doubt for (often) days after the 'thing' that happened. And what my friend was relaying was how her Daddy had employed a two part method for dealing with a similar situation. She was out of line, and he did something to catch her attention in a major way DURING the episode, and let her know that they would be dealing with it later. And later, after tempers had cooled, and clear-headedness prevailed a punishment was delivered - with an accompanying caveat: after the punishment was done, so was whatever had happened. It had been dealt with and it was time to move on. At that point, there is a clean slate.

I know that what moved me was the way that I know that this adds a completion to whatever happens. And I felt a desperate longing for something similar. I know that comparing isn't always the best thing - and ultimately I also know that by sharing my thoughts and emotions about this with my Owner that She is not obligated to do anything about it, nor will She feel that i am topping from the bottom - even if I outright ask for it. So I feel safe in processing and talking about the way it affected me. So - back to the desperate longing.... that was where the tears came from.

My Owner and I are learning how to live our dynamic day by day, moment by moment. I had the 'lifestyle' experience of the two of us, but when it comes to full time, 24/7, and fitting it in with parenting and work and the mundane realities of a life together that is about more than sex and a good flogging once a week - we both came into it as newbies.

We've both gotten really good at dealing with conflicts and finding ways to work on some of my negative communication and conflict patterns... and have made genuine progress. But one thing sort of seemed to be an ah ha moment for both of us and that is that we have built a lot of tools into the actual 'conflict' itself to make that easier and we do a good job of processing it after the fact, determining the root causes of that particular conflict, and making sure there is a lesson learned and something to think about for next time. But then I seem to be left with lingering feelings of... well.. badness... afterward. The idea of having a punishment delivered, with the intention of sort of putting the 'bow' on the wrapped package, seems to feel like something that would afford closure to each event and be both simultaneously cathartic and reassuring. I wouldn't want something like that if it was from a negative "i'm a bad person and deserve a punishment" place, but what I realized is that a punishment is sort of my opportunity to have a symbolic method of truly letting it go, knowing it hasn't caused damage to our marriage and relationship and forgiving myself as well as really accepting that I've been forgiven. There's a lot of appeal in that.

I also know that my Owner takes punishment seriously. She doesn't punish me with something I enjoy. If I receive spanking or any other form of corporal punishment, it is done in a way that the emotional impact is clearly punitive and not something I find pleasurable. When She mentioned Saturday night the idea of having some sort of easy to unroll mat or thin camping mattress that She could pull out to have me sleep on the floor, I know that it was a candidate for just such a punishment. I can think of a few other things She would tend to gravitate towards as well, none of them pleasant. So that part is a little bit scary but I also think would be really good for me.

Syr mentioned that She thinks She should do more little things to assert Her ownership throughout, otherwise mundane or busy day to day type activities - nothing overt, but little reminders. She's done a bit more of that even for the last four or five days and the result seems to be that I am more relaxed, behaving in a more trusting way, and pretty much just staying really ... really.... little.

I like it.

Weekend Snippets

Thursday night, She ravished me and I can still feel the way that my Owner slowly, deliberately and agonizingly pressed Her cock deep inside of me until it pressed against my cervix for long moments of combined pain and pleasure. She usually takes me with a driving intensity and force, ravaging me until I beg for the mercy of an orgasm. This was different. She moved slowly, but intensely. I remember the way She made me stay still, reminding me - "Take what you are given, slave" - when I would arch up for more or whimper for Her to move more quickly. But then, something shifted and I was surrendering and floating and content to let her torment me in this way as long as She desired while I gave in to the luxurious intensity of the slowness. She moved this way inside of me until She shuddered with orgasm and then, only then, ordered my release.

Last night, we spent the afternoon and evening with a kink/lifestyle-friendly friend and I got some much needed time to really just be in my role. I got rather hyper enjoying this rare opportunity to just let go and had a few bratty moments. But I also got some lovely reminders and some conversations opened the doors to new revelations and understandings. Most of all, I had some quality time at Syr's feet, my cheek resting on Her knee. Those moments are pure bliss. Then, at bedtime, She teased about me sleeping on the floor, but I was feeling so little, I took Her literally and was prepared to sleep on the floor. I wasn't sure how I felt about it; it was late and I was a bit sleepy, but the resulting conversation left me feeling very Owned and cared for. A lot of the conversation revolved around punishment for arguments that get out of hand (on my part, attitude-wise) and the benefit that has even when I have already learned my lesson. There is a cleansing feeling that goes along with it and we had a really enlightening conversation about that. I fell asleep feeling very secure and safe, and grateful that I was falling asleep in my Owner's arms.

Today, I spent the whole day feeling my place acutely.

Missing Daddy...

I was away recently, on a necessary trip - alone - to attend the memorial service of the afore mentioned beloved friend I recently lost.

In many ways, the trip was about healing for me. It was a time for remembering and processing, for crying and singing. Many of the feelings that I spent the weekend sorting through were highly personal.

The friend that passed away was not someone Daddy ever had the chance to get to know, and so naturally there were some roadblocks in really sharing my grief with Her or turning to Her for comfort - though of course She was wonderfully understanding and supportive of my grieving process.

Going alone was originally a choice made out of necessity. And while there were many moments within the three days I was gone when I wished for nothing more than Daddy's strong arms around me, holding me or Her shoulder to lean my head on, I found that ultimately it was necessary for my own personal healing to go it alone.

This left me with an interesting feeling. I didn't really miss Daddy the way I thought I would (or should?) and while I know this was a good and healthy thing, I felt a pressing need to tell Her this. She totally understood, even laughed, and said sometimes we just need a break, and that it's totally ok. I get what She meant. Sometimes, it's nice to have some alone time or some time where your responsibilities to your partner aren't at the forefront.

But - for me, this time, it was about something more than that. It was about letting myself really FEEL the grief and the pain on my own. It was about holding those emotions, releasing them, working my way through them (not suppressing them) and reminding myself that I am capable of doing this with or without a Daddy right next to me to lean on. In this way, it was really empowering.

I am grateful to have a Daddy, an Owner, a Syr, and a best friend in my Wife. She is my partner in so many things and I feel we have a very close, fully open, and overwhelmingly trusting relationship. In all ways, I feel that my relationship with Her empowers me and helps me to grow into my potential. But, it's nice to have some reminders that I really have grown, really have gotten to a healthier place than I was even as recently as five years ago.

I felt proud of myself and when I got home and hugged and kissed Her, I had this all encompassing feeling of personal pride. It was if I had taken "being a good girl" to a whole new level.

So maybe I didn't miss Daddy, in the ways I thought I would, while I was away. But - I sure did make Daddy proud!

Gratitude

Had a moment today where I was being ungrateful.

Daddy had me in Her thoughts and had done something kind but I was nitpicking. I was frustrated with myself but I am glad I was able to see my behaviour clearly (and speedily) and rectify the situation.

I love it when She does nurturing things and I need to remember to show Her my appreciation when She does.

I love You, Daddy, and thank You - I really do appreciate You!

Daddy's Clothes

Her jeans fit perfectly, sitting just below Her waistline, and my eyes roam over the snug black tee shirt that She wears, tucked in, with a button down shirt hanging open on top of it.

My eyes trace Her body, falling to the untied laces of Her heavy brown leather boots. Falling to my knees in front of Her, I tie each boot in turn, unable to resist a shy glance up at Her but quickly blush and look away again when my eyes meet Hers.

Standing once more, I reach forward and carefully button Her shirt, avoiding the intensity of Her gaze. I step back to review my work and ensure that everything is in order. Wistfully, I eye Her waistline. The only thing that would add to the experience is a belt.

After my assessment, She closes the gap between us and kisses me, claiming me, as I surrender to Her embrace. Neither of us have spoken a word.

Moments later, we're in the car headed out to run some errands, my right and Her left hand comfortably clasped between us.

It's just another day, but the moment shared just seconds before is no less powerful for it's transience.

Growth in Service: "What's Done is Done"

Explaining reasoning does not negate/erase feelings (or "what's done is done")

Ask, don't tell Owner what Her feelings are

Waiting for the answer after asking a question

Not defending/countering

Accepting the answer given as the only sane choice

How NOT doing these things invalidates Owner's feelings/emotions

I'm doing this as one entry because all these things relate to each other pretty intimately, i believe, and because this came up in a calm but frustrating conflict between my Owner and I just this evening. But I'll break it up bit by bit.

Explaining reasoning does not negate/erase feelings (or "what's done is done")

This is one of my BIGGEST battles. Okay, maybe I say that a lot but I think this is really true and is the root (and thus the heading) of many conflicts. Once there is an unpleasant emotion (read previous entry on that issue), I try to 'correct' things. My attempt to correct is fear-driven. I don't like feeling that someone is having a negative emotion towards or about me (who does?) and so I try to make it go away. When I write it out like that, it sounds really ridiculous and futile - and wholly illogical. But in my mind - in the moment - it is a very logical and analytical sort of step to take.

If (for example) my Owner seems frustrated with me about the way I expressed myself about something - then it would serve my logical purposes at the moment to explain that whatever is causing Her frustration was a misunderstanding because I certainly didn't mean to come across in a frustrating way. Except, the thing is that I get very, very determined to PROVE that I did nothing (at least intentionally) to cause the negative emotion - therefore the negative emotion need not be there.

Um, do you see the problem here? Once a negative emotion is experienced, I can't erase it by explaining away whatever led to it (whether by excuse or apology) but I don't think it's possible to explain just how desperately I want to do JUST that. *sigh*

This is a driving thing and something that needs to be worked on a lot more on my part. Once the negative emotion is there - whether I agree with it or not, whether I think it should exist or not, whether I think I am to BLAME for it or not - it's still there. I can not (and dear Goddess I should not be trying to) explain it away!!

Ask, don't tell Owner what Her feelings are

I've made a lot of progress on this but I have to constantly check myself. I used to, quite regularly, assume that my Owner was angry or frustrated or annoyed at me and would state this presumptively within a conflict or conversation and this would upset my Owner. Interestingly, having someone assume what I am thinking or feeling really irks me in a big way, so I really understand how annoying this behaviour is and have been trying to curb it. I still catch myself doing it sometimes or trying to find different (softer) words but still stating my Owner's feelings rather than asking.

This is in the outline because I really think this is a personal 'rule' I need to work on with myself. I need to remember to ASK (and never just state/tell) my Owner what She is thinking or feeling.

Not defending/countering

Remember the post about listening and, specifically, not interrupting? This is probably the worst habit I have in conflict and it is definitely rooted in the issue of believing on some level that I can make a negative thought go away by 'explaining' it away.

In a conflict, if I am interrupting - nine times out of ten it is with something like "I didn't say it like THAT" or "I didnt' mean it to come out that way..." or "I said ___ not ___" or.... (the list goes on... and on).

Almost every time I interrupt, it is an effort to defend or argue a point. Now, maybe that's true for everyone in conflicts, and it's probably pretty normal in the bigger picture of human interaction/arguments/conflicts. But, what bothers me about this behaviour is how HARD it is to stop myself. It takes a ridiculous amount of concentration and, dare I say, willpower just to keep myself silent without countering - and I mean that it takes that much work just to stop myself from arguing the most ridiculous of minute details just to avoid starting a side-argument over something dumb - oh yeah, and I often DON'T catch myself in time.

When it comes to 'countering', it seems that everything is up for grabs - even the tiniest of details, which in turn adds frustration to the entire interaction as my Owner struggles to just stick to the original point.

As with many of the other things within our arguments if I can remember to listen respectfully throughout the entire conversation, I will make more progress.

Accepting the answer given as the only sane choice

I've worded this one fairly strongly on purpose. When I ask a question, particularly one about opinion, what my Owner "means", what She 'feels', what Her opinion is, etc - the only SANE response is to accept the answer I am given.

It is not fair or appropriate (with anyone, let alone my Owner) to argue over Her opinions, feelings, or perceptions. If I ask "what do You want for dinner" and She says "spaghetti", it is not appropriate or polite to say "what about meatloaf?". We obviously never have that particular exchange but I think you get my drift. It's a very simple, foundational basic to remember to just accept the answers I am given without question. It doesn't mean I need to agree with every single thing - but it means that respecting my Owner's feelings, emotions, and opinions means not making Her have to justify them all the time.

I trust Her - and as I frequently remind myself - trust is the root of all of these things. When I remember to trust, I relax and the rest becomes a lot less like work and a lot more like natural communication.

How NOT doing these things invalidates Owner's feelings/emotions

And the point of all of this is that when I don't do the above things - I make my Owner feel badly. Not respecting Her feelings/emotions without question invalidates them and whether I agree with them or not or even whether I understand what caused them or not does not make them disappear. This obviously circles back to the first point - what's done is done.

If my Owner feels frustrated, that's Her right. And to remind myself from an earlier post, just because She feels frustrated does not mean it is up to me to "fix it", it is just up to me to respect it and be aware and respectful of Her needs, whether it be to discuss it or to back off from it (another thing I struggle with)

---

One interesting side-point that came up this evening was my Owner's warning about dropping something so that it NOT turn into an argument.

I have often interpreted this to mean "If we keep talking to each other, we will fight because you will do something to piss me off."

but ...

what i learned tonight is that what She means by this is "I'm getting upset/frustrated/angry (insert emotion) and need a break from this because I'm not feeling particularly objective and if we push the issue right now it WILL become an argument"

I actually NEVER took it that way. I have always taken that warning to mean that She somehow thinks I'm going to lose my cool or not be capable of talking about it rationally (cuz it's all about me right? geesh) and I have never stopped to consider that what She might mean is that SHE is not in the right headspace to continue rationally (or even mean that WE are not in the right headspace), but I don't think - in hindsight - that She has ever meant it as an accusation about my inability to be reasonable. Oops. Another thing I took personally and often 'defended' to the point of - well.. missing the point.

It just goes to show how big language things are. And, more importantly, it's a reminder to me to check myself and to work harder at not interpreting everything through the "how have I messed up or how am i being accused of messing up" filter. This filter is what gets me in trouble. Many times a comment or request or question is nothing to do with me and everything to do with where my Owner's head or emotions are at. Once again, not everything is about me. :)

~*~*~*~*~

Kitten recently posted about her Master's style of Zen Mastery which prompted A Subtle Slavegirl to post about it and in both the phrase that stood out - that seems to be the most potently 'felt' is this one -

"Surrender is a reaction. Submission is a decision."

Yeah, that! For me, this tied into all this work I feel like I am constantly doing to overcome my 'stuff', to be better at communicating, to overcome my dysfunctional patterns and past programming. Sometimes, I get so frustrated with all of the work that needs doing that I feel really broken - but it is not up to my Owner to accept me as is all the time without question - that is what leads to dysfunction (at least for me). It is not up to Her to 'fix' me either. It is not up to Her to constantly push me for this sort of growth. It is up to me to bring this to the table - to be willing to do the work to be a better person, wife, little girl, and slave. It is my decision to work on these things, on basics and on things that aren't so basic that makes it an act of submission and one that is beneficial to us both.

It's far easier to simply do what one is told than it is to bring something, with effort, to the relationship and put the work and energy behind it to make it work. It is the work and the active engagement on my part that makes, even this, an act of submission.