The Middle 23. An exercise in community
A writing prompt
I have forgotten how to write, it seems. My mind is full of many disparate thoughts, ricocheting off of one another before I have a chance to fully grasp them. Writing is one of the things that makes me feel most myself, so this experience of wordlessness is strange. I feel like a stranger to myself, getting to know the me that does not have much to say. It feels wrong, but also right, somehow. There are seasons of output and seasons of input, and I can feel the words stirring in my chest. Idle, waiting.
I think many of us feel this way, at different times. So simultaneously full and empty. Angsty with a desire to create, to move, to propel in a direction - any direction. Instead, we’re moving in circles. We want forward momentum, but our soul whispers “wait”. It is a necessary discomfort, a middling ground, a space to remind us that we don’t control as much as we think we do. I can force the words, squelch them into existence. Or I can wait for the words, and sit in the discomfort of un-productivity.
So, perhaps, rather than forcing my words this mid-february, I will make space for yours. I’ve crafted a prompt to explore, and I would love for you to share your thoughts in the comments if you would so humour us. Let us encourage one another there, find one another there, and remember that life in the middling spaces is not about figuing it all out, but about togetherness.
Take a moment to imagine someone, anyone. It might be a nameless person, or a shadowy representative of different people. It might be someone specific. Take a deep breath and consider: What might that person need to hear? What compassion may they need to experience? What encouragement might lift the weight of their soul today?
And then, let words flow to you. Let them speak through your spirit, through your deepest place of inner wisdom. Trust them, and dare to share. You might just give the words someone needs to hear.
To the shadow within that tells me that merely existing is an act of self-sabotage... I see you. I see the tears running down your face and the agony in your eyes. I see your warrior spirit. You feel as though a warrior must always be proving themselves worthy by constantly fighting a battle for a better life. But don't you see? Someone has cursed you. They cast a spell that has led you to believe that rest is dangerous. So ,when my body says "no more", you ready your weapon and attack the threat. This threat, however, also kills you. It's been so long since we've felt safe, hasn't it? It's nearly impossible to think about dropping the sword, and yet, we are both too wounded to fight. We've been through so much, Shadow, but it's time to drop the armour and let the joy in. It's time to heal. It's going to be okay.