We hold our stories in our bones, in our very existence. Stories of sadness, trauma, and hardship. The telling of these stories is important. Saying the words out loud, unearthing the secrets--these actions honor and empower us. They declare: my life matters.
I've written my stories. I've spoken my stories. I've owned my stories. And now it's time to let go. Freedom came when I told these stories. Prison remains when I live in them. When I think, "I wasn't nurtured enough as a child" or "I felt unseen" or "I sacrificed too much for academia," I enter a box--an identity that no longer fits. Wholeness exists when I nurture, see, and stay true to myself.
It's an act of kindness to honor my past yet live in the present. I'll continue to tell my stories as they occur. It's how I learn and grow. But the tired stories, they can return to the earth. I don't need them anymore.
"It's an act of kindness to honor my past yet live in the present. I'll continue to tell my stories as they occur. It's how I learn and grow. But the tired stories, they can return to the earth. I don't need them anymore."
ReplyDelete. . . you make the world a better place, Joy. You are a beautiful soul. This is so, beautifully and artfully written.
Thank you.
your words mean the world to me. especially because i think YOU are a beautiful soul. :)
DeleteThese are powerful and important words. They elicited tears as I read them; probably because I know the difficulty of what you write.
ReplyDeleteStories - especially those deeply planted or the stories we link to our identity - are often difficult to release. Stories of our past that turn into stories of our present because we feel residual hurt or shame or because we try to protect ourselves-- those don't go away easily; they often circle back in new (perhaps unexpected) ways.
You make it sound easy to release tired stories, but it's important to honor that difficult process of releasing the stronghold these stories have on our lives. I'm not sure our major stories ever completely leave us but maybe it's fair to say some no longer are chapters in our life story but rather paragraphs or sentences.
Thanks for your words, Joy. They're a gift.
hello, dear friend. indeed, the journey is not easy. it's taken me 20 years to get to this place. and, yes, life is a spiral of learning. be kind to yourself. let's all be kind to ourselves. :)
DeleteAs always you are so wise with your words, your thoughts, your actions. This is so very true and your images of nature, they go so well with your thoughts. When I visit your blog I always walk away a little richer. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour friend
Tracie
tracie, how lovely to see you! your words--"I walk away a little richer"--go right to my heart and stay there. thank you.
DeleteOne of mine is " I wasn't loved as a kid". Well I so much try to let that go as you describe. Your words are comfort and gift. They are what I think many feel but can't put it into words as beautifully as you do.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing, agnes. we all have old tapes that play in our heads. i'm glad my words provide you comfort. and i'm thrilled for you on your new path, learning new things. yay!
DeleteYour words are an inspiration to me. It has only been in the last few years I have come to understand that those stories matter but do not define me and I can move beyond them. I work daily to stay in the present, to take in today's stories and live. You are a huge part of this discovery for me Joy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteyou are so welcome, cathy. i'm grateful our paths crossed. we have much to learn from each other.
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