And a little bit of that…
[No. 71]
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 INFLUENCES THAT HAVE MADE WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON?
My body. My daughter. My desire to learn & evolve. Italy. LOVE. At the end of the day, love is the blood red thread that weaves who I am–who we all are–together. Love has invited [and challenged] me to grow, wonder, explore, stand up for, move on, evolve. Love is what opens us up and puts us back together again and again and again, and we are forever changing as it does.
Sam & their daughter as a toddler many moons ago in Rome
[No. 72]
DOES IT MATTER TO YOU WHETHER WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE TRUE [ABOUT THE UNIVERSE, GOD, LIFE’S ORIGINS, AND EVEN THE NATURE OF LIFE BEYOND THE PHYSICAL REALM], IS IN FACT TRUE? DO YOU CARE IF YOU TURN OUT TO BE WRONG?
No & no. Truth is universal. Love is in charge. We are all here finding our way home by remembering our connection to each other and all of existence.
[No. 73]
WHAT IS THE WORST PAIN YOU’VE EVER FELT?
My child’s. It has tugged at my heart strings when the person I most want to be thriving in this world [my daughter] experiences pain. Somehow it has been easier to digest my own hurt than to witness hers.
[No. 74]
ARE YOU A “NO REGRETS” KIND OF PERSON [I LEARN FROM ALL EXPERIENCES/SITUATIONS AND WOULDN’T TAKE ANYTHING BACK] OR DO YOU RECOGNIZE REGRET[S] THAT YOU WOULD TAKE BACK IF YOU COULD?
No regrets. Every experience–even the most painful ones–have taught me something about who I am and how I want to live. To say we would take back an action with regret is to laugh in the face of the growth process. Even the so-called mistakes are harbingers of valuable information that inform our next steps. As my mom says, “We do our best with the consciousness we have at any given moment.” For me, that sentiment both welcomes me to have compassion for myself with the ongoing decision-making in my life and also to trust in the grander trajectory of my growth. The moments that make me pause, or even cringe, get my attention and offer me feedback on where I seek greater harmony. Growth can be both sticky and rewarding.
[No. 75]
IF WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN, WHY DON’T WE TRIPLE TEACHERS‘S WAGES?
And why don’t countries end wars? And feed all their citizens? And provide humane health care and shelter for all? And welcome people across borders in want of nourishment and shelter? And allow folks to live their sexuality, gender and religion in peace? And why do systems discriminate and devalue? We have lost sight of how love for our children is connected to a love for all children, for all people. As societies, we have invested resources in stratification and division rather than unity and inclusivity. Teachers are saints, as are nurses and farmers and caregivers and janitors and paramedics. And, yet all are paid some of the lowest wages for their valuable labor taking care of our communities. I wish I had a precise answer to your question. What I will say is this: I believe the solutions will be birthed through activism and by voting to choose different leaders. However, I see the most change happening when we become different leaders in our own lives too. The image of concentric circles comes to mind; our impact radiating outward from every action we take. What are the ways we can actively participate in the creation of the just world we wish to inhabit?