This piece was inspired by the book Perfectly Yourself by Matthew Kelly, and an exploration in a writing workshop at the Iowa Writers’ House where we were prompted to write about binaries we struggle with. I chose in control vs. free-spirited.
So busy keeping it together we miss out on falling apart. We are hardened and hard wired. The clean and straight are a perfect reflection of how little we feel.
We take it on instead of taking it in. Riddled with fear and anxiety, we forget what fun and freedom feel like.
Our senses dull. The pretty picture is empty inside.
We forget how to live and why we live because we are so focused on what we are living.
Smooth lines and straight paths are all we can handle. When things get rocky or windy we lose our minds.
The way we live may be wide, but it is so shallow.
We end up in jobs we hate in houses we can’t afford with a family we don’t know and a reflection we can’t recognize.
OR we let go.
We take the detours. Look up and step out. Try new things, embrace change. Learn to love the discomfort. Explore the quiet and small spaces of life. Dig deeper. Let things be. Appreciate it all just for what it is.
Grit, Gratitude, and Grace 