Broken Child Grown Into a Broken Woman with a Broken System 2023

03/09/2024

I don't think many people realize how difficult it is for others to step out of their comfort zone, even for the most shallow and simple things. I, for one, don't even like watching movies I haven't seen before, and l'd rather listen to the same music on my playlist from ten years ago instead of trying my luck with the shuffle.

That's why it always thrills me when someone dares to listen to my story. When someone actually tries to know me, and have a look at the world from my perspective. I don't really have much to offer, so I'll always have a special place for those who saw something in me that I'm still yet to understand.

You see, I don't think many people realize how difficult it is for others to step out of their comfort zone, but I do. And I'll always treasure the way some stepped out of theirs just to spend some time sitting next to me, even for just a little while.

My Indelible Ink
🎨Michael Mantel

03/09/2024

Please stay alive isn’t a sentiment that ends with those three words. It continues on into each day after we make that plea. It manifests by making this life one that has less suffering, and more support. It provides the kind of community that not only believes that better days are ahead, but wants to put in the work to make them possible for everyone.

Su***de Prevention Month is here, and it means a lot to our crew the way that people show up and show out during this time. Our goal of $200,000 is not one we can manage alone, but it’s necessary for us to keep providing the help and hope that we’re known for. Please consider making a donation, even $5, in honor of the work we’re doing this month and all year round. You can donate right now at https://give.twloha.com/campaign/suicide-prevention-month/c602078

Please stay alive, friends. You are not a burden.

03/09/2024

We exist on a 4.5 billion year old rock
floating in an unfathomable expanse
of nothing-ness
you and I
we are magnetically held in place
by an invisible force
along with 8 billion other people.

every single thing that exists on this rock
is without doubt a work of art
so intricately crafted
we will never truly discover the scope of wonder within

we are made of the same elements
as everything that naturally surrounds us
just shaken up differently
and oh so magnificently

look at us, my friends.
we are breathtaking
our breath alone
the power in that act
is breathtaking

everything you are doing right now
reading, feeling, understanding
is fascinatingly complex
and yet we spend our days worrying about things
that are of no significance at all
big-picture

walk around your world today
with awe in your eyes
and really see what you are living.

every aspect of this life
is nothing short of astonishing
and this rock we are clinging to with ease
is astounding.

eyes open, reach out, breathe deep

take it all in

this rock, our home,
will know each of us
for only a heartbeat in its timeline.

leave only love
live with only gratitude
look with only wonder.

~ 'This Rock' by Donna Ashworth from 'Wild Hope'

~ Art by Julia Arnt

31/08/2024

31/08/2024

"The weight of unspoken words is heavier than any burden we carry. It is the weight of things left unsaid, of emotions buried deep, of truths hidden away in the dark corners of our minds. And as that weight grows, it begins to crush us, to suffocate us, until we are no longer able to speak, no longer able to express the things we need to say, the things that could free us from the prison of our own silence."

— Alice Walker, The Color Purple

31/08/2024

As Self-Awareness Month comes to a close, try one of these journal prompts to reflect.