the kindred project: day 12 (on noticing)

The Kindred Project: 12 Days of Light and Yes is about sharing our stories of light and hope. The moments where we said "yes" to choosing beauty in the midst of it all. The moments where we stood in our own light. The moments where we saw someone else choose hope. The moments where another became our teacher and where we taught ourselves. Read more about the project and share your own stories in this post. During these 12 days, I am sharing a few of the lights along my path that have pushed me and taught me and held me in the midsts of it all. 

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soul mantras awaiting a polish and chains before they head into the world

There were so many stories I wanted to share with you during these 12 days (that have become 13 days) but I am going to instead let go of that for now and tuck those stories away for another time because this is what I am called to share today...

In my Asian Philosopy class in college, I was introduced to this idea of becoming an observer of yourself. My quick explanation of this (because really you could study books and more books about this): The idea is to try to observe moments in your life with a sense of detachment, so you can see a bit more clearly and notice. You just notice. Letting go of the judgement or worry or fear or anger or what ifs and notice. 

This is a beautiful and powerful practice but so often it is oh-my-goodness hard.

Lately, I have been trying to do this in a few areas of my life, and this practice has pushed me to really admit some things (to myself):

You are on the path. (And you know it, so stop pretending you don't.)

You are too hard on yourself baby girl. There is only so much time in the day and you are only one person and it is okay to know that you are doing the best you can.

People are rarely as mad or even as dismayed as you assume they will be. In fact, they are hardly ever mad at all.

The universe is taking care of you in ways you don't even realize.

It so isn't about you. It isn't. But it can seem so easy to make it all about you. Yes. But people are just living their lives, doing their best too.

You will always miss them. This is truth, and it is okay.

People won't always get you. Just keep moving forward.

You must honor the people who do get you. Like. right. now. 

Spending more time in the living will infuse you with energy.

You are enough. You are enough. You are enough.

I am pushing myself to own these truths. I am also looking at the expectations I have of myself and trying to uncover where those expectations come from and if they really belong to me and are my truth. Luckily, I have some support in this area as this is big work. But in doing this work, I know my path will be lighter. Because even when I don't want to admit it, I make the choice. I choose to know these truths and stand in this light. I choose..

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A few shop notes: I am going to close the shop for two weeks starting tomorrow (Thursday). With all the retreats that have happened in this first part of 2011, I have learned that this simply is a must. I am working on some new designs to reveal when I reopen (including bracelets!) and I will be moving on from some of the pieces in the current collection (meaning several will no longer be available). Also, today and tomorrow will be the last days for the special edition kindred project necklace. So if you have your eye on something, use the coupon code SPRINGFREE for free shipping through tomorrow. 

the kindred project: day 8 (a birthday)

The Kindred Project: 12 Days of Light and Yes is about sharing our stories of light and hope. The moments where we said "yes" to choosing beauty in the midst of it all. The moments where we stood in our own light. The moments where we saw someone else choose hope. The moments where another became our teacher and where we taught ourselves. Read more about the project and share your own stories in this post. During these 12 days, I am sharing a few of the lights along my path that have pushed me and taught me and held me in the midsts of it all. 

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2010 :: 2011

As she sleeps down the hall, I think about how this time last year I had lost a sense of time and was deep inside a bravery I never knew I had within me. There was such joy and pain to come in those next few hours, days, weeks.

And there is so much I want to say. I want to tell you about the fear and beauty and laughter. I want to tell you about getting lost and forgotten, then standing tall as a mother in a way that had been within me all along. I want to tell you about the cracking open and the stitching it all up again only to have life leak through. 

Side by side we are healing and laughing and living it all.

May it always be like this, even when she stands farther away on her path and lives her own dreams into reality. May we always see the laughing and the healing and the love.

More stories to come, but right now there are presents to wrap and I need to remind Jon to pick up the cake and the sky is so blue and it is so warm outside and I can hear her calling me. We have some living to do over here.

(Homework: Close your laptop, turn off your phone, and go do some living of your own dear one. You deserve it.)

the kindred project: day 7 (traveler)

The Kindred Project: 12 Days of Light and Yes is about sharing our stories of light and hope. The moments where we said "yes" to choosing beauty in the midst of it all. The moments where we stood in our own light. The moments where we saw someone else choose hope. The moments where another became our teacher and where we taught ourselves. Read more about the project and share your own stories in this post. During these 12 days, I am sharing a few of the lights along my path that have pushed me and taught me and held me in the midsts of it all. 

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traveler and me . washington coast, july 2004

this evening, an audio post that includes a senses memory and just a few thoughts about how traveler taught me about love and grief.

(just click on june 2 below to hear it; it is about seven minutes long)

thank you so much for sharing your own stories throughout this little project i am doing. today, i would love to hear your stories about the animals in your life who teach you...

june 2

the kindred project: day 6 (nine with meredith winn)

The Kindred Project: 12 Days of Light and Yes is about sharing our stories of light and hope. The moments where we said "yes" to choosing beauty in the midst of it all. The moments where we stood in our own light. The moments where we saw someone else choose hope. The moments where another became our teacher and where we taught ourselves. Read more about the project and share your own stories in this post. During these 12 days, I am sharing a few of the lights along my path that have pushed me and taught me and held me in the midsts of it all. 

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The world of blogging has brought so many lights into my world in the form of many incredible women who are living their lives wide and deep. They are dancing and resting and being as they walk paths of realness and grief and hope and joy. They teach me as they share their stories. The Nine series has become a way for me to interview a few of these people in a way that teaches all of us about how they see their worlds in this moment. Today, I am rebooting this series a bit with a slightly new set of questions. Look for more Nine interviews in the months to come.

Today's Nine interview is with Meredith Winn. Oh how this woman shares pieces of beauty and truth through her words and photography. Every time I visit her blog, she deeply inspires me with her courage, and even though our stories are different, she has this way of pushing me to know that I am not alone. I am so thankful our paths have crossed and am delighted that she agreed to kick off the Nine series reboot.

Enjoy this peek into Meredith's story.

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Question 1: Who are you?

 

Question 2: In this moment, where are you?

 

Question 3: What are the textures of your corner of the world?

 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone to just play, what would you do?

 

Question 5: How do you seek joy?

Question 6: What nourishes you?

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and ground yourself, what do you do?

 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

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Meredith Winn is a sometimes writer and an everyday photographer. Meredith’s creative nonfiction has been published in various magazines including Midwifery Today, Motherverse, Literary Mama, Hip Mama, and a forthcoming issue of Mothering Magazine. Her photography has been on exhibit in TX, VT, and NYC. Meredith is a contributing editor and photographer to Shutter Sisters and is also a contributing photographer for Getty Images. Her photography portfolio can be found online. She is a somewhat elusive (and sporadic) blogger found at the~spirit~of~the~river. Meredith drinks chai tea, parents
mindfully, embraces this human existence, and will always be a camera shy momma. You can find her on twitter (@camerashymomma).

(All photos copyright Meredith Winn.)

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Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

the kindred project: day 5 (a simple, everyday choice)

The Kindred Project: 12 Days of Light and Yes is about sharing our stories of light and hope. The moments where we said "yes" to choosing beauty in the midst of it all. The moments where we stood in our own light. The moments where we saw someone else choose hope. The moments where another became our teacher and where we taught ourselves. Read more about the project and share your own stories in this post. During these 12 days, I am sharing a few of the lights along my path that have pushed me and taught me and held me in the midsts of it all. 

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as i have read your comments and emails, i am noticing that there might be a thought out there that the choices i am talking about - choosing joy, hope, love - must be big choices. that somehow one must look only at the darkness to find these stories of choosing hope. i invite you to realize that the choice to find beauty or joy is one you do make every day when you put on your favorite socks or choose an orange at the grocery store or tell people you love them.

life is hard. life is full of so much, well, much.ness. we are pushed and pulled in this life. yet, we make simple choices every day to bring in more hope and joy. 

one simple way i bring in more joy to my everyday life is through music.

so often i stop everything to find my rhythm, to dance, to move in this world to the soundtrack of my life. honestly, this is such a part of me that i don't even realize i am doing it. singing and dancing simply make me happy. in fact, i find when i am singing, my heart feels lighter. is that a cliche of sorts? perhaps. but it is also part of my truth.

i sing to ellie all the time. i make up words to songs i know from my childhood. all the songs are about her and her bravery and strength and silliness. i so look forward to the day she joins in. and we dance. oh how we dance in this little house. don't you think we could solve more of the world's problems if there was more dancing?

a simple truth: almost every day i make the choice to find beauty in my world when i turn up the music and find my rhythm and sing along.

in this moment, i invite you to come along with ellie and me. get up right where you are and make the choice to find joy as you dance and sing along to a favorite song, "graceland," by paul simon.

please consider sharing a favorite song or two or three in the comments. maybe a song that brings a light.ness into your world or one you love to dance to or one that is giving you hope these days.