How do we take care of ourselves? The question itself is an invitation. I think somehow creating intention before writing. Or an awareness. Checking back in with yourself at times to notice the feedback. Redirect. Acceptance. Having times to be validated and held up by others could be good scaffolding. I think I've never thought about this question until now. I like thinking about it. I'm curious.
So much is swirling in my mind and heart right now. First off, a question: did you do these touch drawings?? They are beyond beautiful, beyond amazing, so I was curious about the artist.
Second, a dear old friend who was the first person I told about Rachel’s death was a nurse practitioner. She told me on that day about this idea of how cells are retained in the umbilical tissues, and that Rachel would be there, at least on a cellular level, all the days of my life.
At the time, this provided little comfort, but now, all these years later, it actually does.
Thank you, Sarah. We are all here, everywhere, all together, forever.
So I had no idea you had this kind of artistic talent, and they are gorgeous! Seriously beautiful. Love the self portrait. You should be doing more of these! (I don't know what a touch drawing is, but will look it up.)
But yes, this idea of the cellular connection we have with our mothers, our children, are real and powerful. It's as though the umbilical chord is a ribbon that ties each of us together, one to the other, for generations. Maybe this is why I sometimes feel I can actually feel what my grandmother must have felt when her own son died, or when she crossed the Atlantic to come to this country. I never know how I could know these things, or feel them so deeply. But maybe this is really it! Exploding minds converge!!
Yeah, then there’s the idea that these cells are ‘foreign’ and the use of the term chimera. Bringing in the monstrous, the concept of multiple creatures inhabiting one body, seems a more honest metaphor for understanding the complexity of these relationships.
Yes, Sarah. And this is somehow related though it hasn't come together in my mind just yet....but I've been thinking of this idea of monstrous vs. beauty, or how they actually coexist.
Throughout history, for instance, people have done horrific things to one another upon land that ultimately brought forth beauty. More specific....okay. Someone is assaulted under a beautiful oak tree. The assault is horrible, cruel, but the tree -- who is bearing witness -- is beautiful, stretched out in its glory, providing shade, cover, protection, and is also a habitat for all kinds of creatures. It seems like all of life is a fusion of the sacred and the profane.
Again, I'm still trying to reconcile this with the bodily cells we were talking about above, but maybe it's this: that connection to lost loved ones is the sacred part, while monstrous aspects (like that image of a parasite or chimera) are the profane part. Hey, is there a story here somewhere?
How do we take care of ourselves? The question itself is an invitation. I think somehow creating intention before writing. Or an awareness. Checking back in with yourself at times to notice the feedback. Redirect. Acceptance. Having times to be validated and held up by others could be good scaffolding. I think I've never thought about this question until now. I like thinking about it. I'm curious.
I love thinking about being held up by others as scaffolding for caring for ourselves. It puts relationships at the center.
So much is swirling in my mind and heart right now. First off, a question: did you do these touch drawings?? They are beyond beautiful, beyond amazing, so I was curious about the artist.
Second, a dear old friend who was the first person I told about Rachel’s death was a nurse practitioner. She told me on that day about this idea of how cells are retained in the umbilical tissues, and that Rachel would be there, at least on a cellular level, all the days of my life.
At the time, this provided little comfort, but now, all these years later, it actually does.
Thank you, Sarah. We are all here, everywhere, all together, forever.
Yes, I did make the touch drawings. 🥰
And it really is a comfort to think that we can be connected to our lost loved ones. There are so many metaphors at play, my mind is exploding!!!
So I had no idea you had this kind of artistic talent, and they are gorgeous! Seriously beautiful. Love the self portrait. You should be doing more of these! (I don't know what a touch drawing is, but will look it up.)
But yes, this idea of the cellular connection we have with our mothers, our children, are real and powerful. It's as though the umbilical chord is a ribbon that ties each of us together, one to the other, for generations. Maybe this is why I sometimes feel I can actually feel what my grandmother must have felt when her own son died, or when she crossed the Atlantic to come to this country. I never know how I could know these things, or feel them so deeply. But maybe this is really it! Exploding minds converge!!
Yeah, then there’s the idea that these cells are ‘foreign’ and the use of the term chimera. Bringing in the monstrous, the concept of multiple creatures inhabiting one body, seems a more honest metaphor for understanding the complexity of these relationships.
Yes, Sarah. And this is somehow related though it hasn't come together in my mind just yet....but I've been thinking of this idea of monstrous vs. beauty, or how they actually coexist.
Throughout history, for instance, people have done horrific things to one another upon land that ultimately brought forth beauty. More specific....okay. Someone is assaulted under a beautiful oak tree. The assault is horrible, cruel, but the tree -- who is bearing witness -- is beautiful, stretched out in its glory, providing shade, cover, protection, and is also a habitat for all kinds of creatures. It seems like all of life is a fusion of the sacred and the profane.
Again, I'm still trying to reconcile this with the bodily cells we were talking about above, but maybe it's this: that connection to lost loved ones is the sacred part, while monstrous aspects (like that image of a parasite or chimera) are the profane part. Hey, is there a story here somewhere?