I first learned how to exist in this space of simultaneous darkness and light when navigating the grief of my mom’s death.
How can the world continue when the spark of her light had gone out? How can I grocery shop and do the laundry and continue the mundanity of life when she was no longer part of it? How can the birds continue to sing and chirp and fly when I no longer felt her physical presence?
When everything is being torn away, stripped down, and ravaged, we have to somehow find a way to continue on, rebuild, and reimagine a new future.
I feel your energy Lisa. Sending you a big hug. Earth is one big piece of land that we have inherited. We all have the same roof over our head, Father Sky. Dysfunction arises because we forget we are all One Family from One Source. Separation only exists in the mind. The heart knows no separation. ❤️ I wrote a Letter to Humanity on my newsletter earlier in the year that may serve as a grounding reminder about what Truth is, especially during times of chaos: https://soulwisdom.substack.com/p/letter-to-humanity
“The tenderness in me sees the tenderness in you.”
That’s kindof the gist of it: Beautiful, connection, in this very moment. Not an answer to tomorrow’s woes, but right now: it’s the complete solution. The whole simplicity of it is almost explosive - right now.
Sometimes the right now beauty lasts a second, an hour or day. Sometimes it lasts shorter than it might - like I just can’t sustain the bliss because I sense the end, the fall, or the missing of it rushing toward me from the future.
The beauty, unknown, sadness of watching highs and lows wash through me like ocean waves… is just maybe what life is all about.
I know each party, vacation, book, childhood, life… will end. Does this change its value? Does this make it less worth living?
Reminds me of “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chaing. Protagonist realizes life is worth living in spite of knowing outcomes, endings. Enjoying life, even while knowing about impermanence, imperfection, struggle.
Lisa, your writing talks about this, to me. You lay out the struggle in visceral detail so we might get the truth of it in our own lives. It’s why I am compelled to reply to your newsletter: Because your words ignite the truths as kin to my own, suggesting I, and we all, might carry on the story in our own words. This is us connecting.
Sharing your reality with us here… opens the door for continuation of the topic from other lives, and we discover our likeness - from all walks of life. Again: we are not alone :-)
Your honesty and beautiful nature continues to shine... we can't figure it all out but we can navigate the mixed experiences and emotions by knowing that we are called to step into different spaces and be true to us and them while there.
It's saddening to see the state of the world in these challenging times. Some days, I wake up and feel a rage inside me to do something that will bring a stop to all this. Other days, I wake up and carry on with the mundane and busy life. Even though I don't have family in either of the two places affected by war right now, it's still hard to navigate through all these emotions that show up every now and then. Love is the answer.
I needed this today thank you 🫶🏼🥺 trying to hold grief and hope and joy and wrestle with the crumbling of my inner world and intense anxiety and not freeze to the pain and suffering in the larger world around me ... trying to stay tender to the joy and wonder of my children while feeling the heaviness of it all. Your words are like an outreached hand thank you 💛
“This is often how it is — this impossible balance. To practice holding the heft of both unfathomable grief and glaring joy in one palm, in one day, in one life, is a practice I’m deeply committed to.”
And I’m so happy to hear that you chose ease with Costco foods. Yea! I’m with you on that.
I found myself writing similar on my IG this week. I had been waiting for the words to come, and they weren’t coming. And instead, I just shared the words I had, which seemed messy, yet honest. And something in me decided honest was okay, honest was good, especially right now.
This is beautiful. Thank you Lisa. Such a balm for this time.
As I wrote on Notes this week, I am in stubborn defense of hope so I loved your tangible table of little-girl-birthday-hope❤
Thank you.
I first learned how to exist in this space of simultaneous darkness and light when navigating the grief of my mom’s death.
How can the world continue when the spark of her light had gone out? How can I grocery shop and do the laundry and continue the mundanity of life when she was no longer part of it? How can the birds continue to sing and chirp and fly when I no longer felt her physical presence?
When everything is being torn away, stripped down, and ravaged, we have to somehow find a way to continue on, rebuild, and reimagine a new future.
Thank you for expressing this so beautifully.
Oh, my… well said!! :-)
Thank you, you put my feelings to words so accurately. Thank you for being here, thank you for showing up, thank you.
I feel your energy Lisa. Sending you a big hug. Earth is one big piece of land that we have inherited. We all have the same roof over our head, Father Sky. Dysfunction arises because we forget we are all One Family from One Source. Separation only exists in the mind. The heart knows no separation. ❤️ I wrote a Letter to Humanity on my newsletter earlier in the year that may serve as a grounding reminder about what Truth is, especially during times of chaos: https://soulwisdom.substack.com/p/letter-to-humanity
Lisa, You continue to write with a power not often seen. Thank you for sharing your depth. It is a valuable connection. D
Thank you for talking about this and inviting us into this space with you ❤️ As a mom of a one year old, it was like a balm to read.
Yes - Agree with Ashley: “beautiful.”
“The tenderness in me sees the tenderness in you.”
That’s kindof the gist of it: Beautiful, connection, in this very moment. Not an answer to tomorrow’s woes, but right now: it’s the complete solution. The whole simplicity of it is almost explosive - right now.
Sometimes the right now beauty lasts a second, an hour or day. Sometimes it lasts shorter than it might - like I just can’t sustain the bliss because I sense the end, the fall, or the missing of it rushing toward me from the future.
The beauty, unknown, sadness of watching highs and lows wash through me like ocean waves… is just maybe what life is all about.
I know each party, vacation, book, childhood, life… will end. Does this change its value? Does this make it less worth living?
Reminds me of “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chaing. Protagonist realizes life is worth living in spite of knowing outcomes, endings. Enjoying life, even while knowing about impermanence, imperfection, struggle.
Lisa, your writing talks about this, to me. You lay out the struggle in visceral detail so we might get the truth of it in our own lives. It’s why I am compelled to reply to your newsletter: Because your words ignite the truths as kin to my own, suggesting I, and we all, might carry on the story in our own words. This is us connecting.
Sharing your reality with us here… opens the door for continuation of the topic from other lives, and we discover our likeness - from all walks of life. Again: we are not alone :-)
Your honesty and beautiful nature continues to shine... we can't figure it all out but we can navigate the mixed experiences and emotions by knowing that we are called to step into different spaces and be true to us and them while there.
It's saddening to see the state of the world in these challenging times. Some days, I wake up and feel a rage inside me to do something that will bring a stop to all this. Other days, I wake up and carry on with the mundane and busy life. Even though I don't have family in either of the two places affected by war right now, it's still hard to navigate through all these emotions that show up every now and then. Love is the answer.
Sending love and positivity!🌸
I needed this today thank you 🫶🏼🥺 trying to hold grief and hope and joy and wrestle with the crumbling of my inner world and intense anxiety and not freeze to the pain and suffering in the larger world around me ... trying to stay tender to the joy and wonder of my children while feeling the heaviness of it all. Your words are like an outreached hand thank you 💛
Yes!
Oh I love this Lisa! Holding the heft. Yes!
“This is often how it is — this impossible balance. To practice holding the heft of both unfathomable grief and glaring joy in one palm, in one day, in one life, is a practice I’m deeply committed to.”
And I’m so happy to hear that you chose ease with Costco foods. Yea! I’m with you on that.
This is beautiful. Thank you, Lisa.
I found myself writing similar on my IG this week. I had been waiting for the words to come, and they weren’t coming. And instead, I just shared the words I had, which seemed messy, yet honest. And something in me decided honest was okay, honest was good, especially right now.
This is beautifully put, Lisa. The tragedy of our times is how we live while holding the grief of this world. I found some words from wiser people to show us the way at this time: https://shinjinim.substack.com/p/finding-beauty-in-a-fractured-world
May it bring us all some light in these dark times. And thank you for being a part of the light in these dark times.
Beautiful Lisa, thank you 🫶