Woah. Breathtaking works. The sacred private struggle to bring meaning and acceptance to pain and shame and beauty is really encouraging here. That all her life nobody could resolve this for her, even those who cared for her and protected her could not intervene on this formation process that was working on her and she on it. This poem distills years of suffering and hope and worth and that duality of our greatest most special strengths also painful reminders of real and not imagined weaknesses that also really are mysteriously entwined with the secret of our uniqueness. So much suffering, problem solving, help, are distilled here, and how the most loving and well meaning people could not answer that question for her that it seemed only she noticed and bore witness too, of if she had changed, and yet people also see what our insecurities and keen observation will not let us see. Sigh. Her dance was with herself but also the best help and love that family friends and medical had to offer a child, yet still she was tasked to carry on this struggle from which this wonderful poem comes. It's breathtaking and unflinching in that it does not rescue us from her pain but unfolds the journey of carrying, wrestling, resting, and seeing, a very real loss, beautifully. This is a great gift for those of us who find some partial comforts and helps at different times due to carrying things that are true, and us who know some things what others cannot see about us, try as we might to share the load in ways that help differently at different times. It never stops being hers to make sense of and she was right about what she felt even as she found layers and helps that unfolded and added new dimensions to her work of being herself. This was really beautiful.
Thank you so much that is a great compliment! What I write best is short, focused reflections or letters to friends, and homework assignments or small group things where there is some structure or support waiting for me at the other end! But flinging deeply personal words out into the unknown with vastly different audiences who may or may not be receptive or helped by it, is a different kind of canvas that I strongly respect and secretly aspire towards but really enjoy watching others walk in it and cheer them on with a joy sometimes as though it were my own! It's a great gift too in its own way so I try to play my position for it's strengths where it's appreciated
I really appreciated the Alice Walker excerpt. It’s so powerful to hear someone’s story in that way. All the seemingly ups and downs of life coming full circle into healing and purpose. So beautiful.
Woah. Breathtaking works. The sacred private struggle to bring meaning and acceptance to pain and shame and beauty is really encouraging here. That all her life nobody could resolve this for her, even those who cared for her and protected her could not intervene on this formation process that was working on her and she on it. This poem distills years of suffering and hope and worth and that duality of our greatest most special strengths also painful reminders of real and not imagined weaknesses that also really are mysteriously entwined with the secret of our uniqueness. So much suffering, problem solving, help, are distilled here, and how the most loving and well meaning people could not answer that question for her that it seemed only she noticed and bore witness too, of if she had changed, and yet people also see what our insecurities and keen observation will not let us see. Sigh. Her dance was with herself but also the best help and love that family friends and medical had to offer a child, yet still she was tasked to carry on this struggle from which this wonderful poem comes. It's breathtaking and unflinching in that it does not rescue us from her pain but unfolds the journey of carrying, wrestling, resting, and seeing, a very real loss, beautifully. This is a great gift for those of us who find some partial comforts and helps at different times due to carrying things that are true, and us who know some things what others cannot see about us, try as we might to share the load in ways that help differently at different times. It never stops being hers to make sense of and she was right about what she felt even as she found layers and helps that unfolded and added new dimensions to her work of being herself. This was really beautiful.
You’re right about it being unflinching and I love what you said about partial comfort. Matthew, I think you’re a writer.
Thank you so much that is a great compliment! What I write best is short, focused reflections or letters to friends, and homework assignments or small group things where there is some structure or support waiting for me at the other end! But flinging deeply personal words out into the unknown with vastly different audiences who may or may not be receptive or helped by it, is a different kind of canvas that I strongly respect and secretly aspire towards but really enjoy watching others walk in it and cheer them on with a joy sometimes as though it were my own! It's a great gift too in its own way so I try to play my position for it's strengths where it's appreciated
Well, it’s appreciated here. Thank you
I really appreciated the Alice Walker excerpt. It’s so powerful to hear someone’s story in that way. All the seemingly ups and downs of life coming full circle into healing and purpose. So beautiful.
I love a full circle moment 🌎☀️🌕
Powerful & poignant. I love that the world is in her eye❣️
🌎