It occurs to me this kind of writing -journaling, purge letters, freeform- is internal communication. Even when our guesses at behavior and responses be pretty much on point, it’s all still projection, supposition. So why not lean into this? Why not use writing as a way to reach inward, connect with our own selves? Any one of those methods I mentioned earlier would be effective, each serving different needs.
Know that you are not alone. People all around you are waking up to some of the same things you are. All of us have questions and seek generative conversation about real things. Regardless of what you have been evicted from or are deconstructing, putting aside, needing to shed -there are tools and resources, mentors and companions. Most importantly, whatever you do or do not call the force of love that weaves throughout our universe, that binds us a Creation made and called good, and compels us to heal the world, know that you are precious and known, seen and heard.
as I consider the Incarnation of the Divine this year, I’m struck not by that infant but by his parents, a couple on a journey -not one they’d planned nor would’ve chosen, the trip to Bethlehem for the Census, but also their broader journey. An unplanned child. Visions of justice proclaimed by Mary. The flight to a foreign land for their safety, perceived by the dreamer Joseph. The parents of Jesus of Nazareth were on their own journey of life, one full of danger and protection, vision and purpose.
I have learned that a hand placed on my back, or any simple touch, with the reminder to breathe can re-focus me. I have learned that I can stop my own spirals into anxious patterns with slow and controlled movement, breath, and speech. I have learned that I can channel my despair and confusion into art, poetry, if I just slow down enough to let it change.
