hey y'all,
it's been a while… thank you for your unspoken grace. i'm going through so much change right now, physically, environmentally, emotionally… everything in my life is shifting. i've tried to write an letter to you multiple times, but the truth is most of my energy is going through the grief of change. so i decided this letter will be different; i've dropped little snippets from my personal writing below for you. i've also decided to intentionally take a break to care for myself deeply. perhaps in the next letter, you'll have a guest in your inbox or musings that have inspired me in some way. i won't be too far and i hope my grace offers you something too. here's to living into reality a world where everyone has access to taking the time-space they need.
with love, yasmin 💛
self-practice: take a few gentle belly breaths to center yourself. when you're ready, pick a snippet of writing below (or multiple) and ponder for a moment the following: what is it literally saying? what metaphors/ images does it make me think of? what is the wisdom it may be offering me & only me right now?
“everything demands something of me without demanding everything. it will always be this way but how do i ensure i’m not the demands or supply? what else is there to live by?” - june 6th
"if we aren’t oppressive to ourselves, noticing and choosing to not exploit ourselves, choosing to unlearn the oppression that exists within us and the wsc* that we have learned, we become the people that can be that for others, fulfilled people.” - june 23rd
“i'm in the tug-of-war that is unlearning internalized ideas from wsc* - that if i am feeling sad or lost or unsuccessful that I am living poorly, living a bad life, incorrect or wrong in someway. i’m battling with that idea because the truth is we do not become impenetrable when we reach a state of joy, confidence, success, or satisfaction. and i have to remember/ learn that there is oscillations all throughout life.” - june 26th
“to be well again means to be able to identify when i/ we are falling into the illusions of the cultures we live in - to clear the fog for ourselves so we can have a grace and compassion for ourselves, believe in ourselves and live fully again. when i/we are able to do that for ourselves, i/we then build the capacity to do and teach that to others. i/we can be soft and understanding, i/we can be adaptable and forgiving, i/we can have our boundaries and be trusting." - june 27th
*wsc = white supremacy culture as characterized by the work of Tema Okun, et al.
