The Final Straw - Together We Can Do It

22/09/2023

Every woman I know has, at one point or another,
sobbed in the shower
cried in the car
swallowed down tears in the supermarket
and broken down in the bathroom.

And then she has dried her eyes, lifted her head, taken a deep breath and carried on.

She has walked into work
or in through the front door
or into the store or the coffee shop or the hair salon.
And she has smiled and chatted to people so that no one would know she’d been crying.

And I’m not reminding us of this to say
“look how strong we are to pull ourselves together when we are falling apart”.
Although that still stands.

I’m reminding us how easy it is to paint on a brave face so that other people are none the wiser.

So whilst it might not have been you sitting in the car park crying this morning, it might have been that woman who sits three desks down from you.

Whilst it might not have been you sobbing in the shower before getting the kids ready for school this morning, it might have been their teacher. Or another parent on the school run.

Whilst you might have gotten round the supermarket without being on the verge of tears today, it might not be the same for the person working the till. Or the person behind you in the queue.

Everyone wears their brave face in public.

And we’ll never really know just how many people around us have pulled themselves together with the thinnest of threads each morning. How many people are ready to fall apart again at any point.

But compassion strengthens those threads.

Compassion is powerful.
Because even when no one can see it,
even when no one can hear it…

They can feel it.

******

Becky Hemsley 2022
Artwork created with Dall-E

*I'm sure this may be true for men too but this is based on experience and conversation with friends and so it's written from that perspective ❤️

‘Handle with Care’ is from my new collection which can be found here:
https://a.co/d/97OIz9l

09/09/2023

Will you... Hold my hand for a little while?
I don’t need you to save me
No need for you to fix anything
No need for you to hold my pain
But will you simply hold my hand?
I do not need your words
Your thoughts
Nor your shoulders to carry me
But will you sit here for a while with me?
Whilst my tears they stream
Whilst my heart it shatters
Whilst my mind plays tricks on me
Will you with your presence let me know that I am not alone, whilst I wander into my inner unknown?
For my darkness is mine to face
My pain is mine to feel
And my wounds are mine to heal
But will you sit with me here, while I courageously show up for it all my dear?
For I am bright because of my darkness
Beautiful because of my brokenness
And strong due to my tender heart
But will you take my hand lovingly, when I sometimes journey into the dark?
I don’t ask for you to take my darkness away
I don’t expect for you to brighten my day
And I don’t believe that you can mend my pain
But I would surely love if you could sit for a while and hold my hand, until I find my way out of my shadowland!
So will you... Hold my hand until I return again?”~

~Zoe Johansen

art: Andrius Kovelinas

Thanks Jenni Venner for sharing this

20/08/2023

LET THEM KEEP IT🙏🏻

Let them keep what you gave them. If you gave them love and they walked away, let them keep it...

If you gave them time and they walked away, let them keep the memories.

If you gave them days, months, or even years of your life, let them keep everything you gave them during that time.

Don't fight about it, don't say "you owe me".

Why do you want it back?

You have the ability to produce more of the same.

Let whoever needs it keep it.

The value of our love does not depend on what others do with that love.

Let them keep what you gave them, they probably needed it, it probably changed their lives, you can't take that away from them.

Think that even when they only gave you pain in return, still, you planted in their hearts the seed of love.

Let them keep it and you keep walking...

Author :Unknown
Artist: Unknown

16/07/2023

“Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.”
Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh - The Siesta, 1889.

04/06/2023

Love this, thanks for sharing Rhea Sabine Wigley . If you have a feeling that someone isn't travelling well, listen to your gut instinct and know that you are probably right. Don't put it off until later. Send a text, pick up the phone, anything. People aren't mindreaders and they won't know that you are thinking about them. Whatever you feel to do, just do it when you feel it.

It's not about knowing exactly what to say or how to say it. It's about showing them you care; and that you're there when they need 💙

Save this post for later so you can return to it whenever you need.

29/05/2023

the next time
you refuse to sing
because you’ll never
fill a stadium
or decline the joy of dance
for fear of looking
ridiculous
or you resist risking
the new adventure
because you’re
not entirely ready or
you dim your shine
because you’re not
completely healed and whole

the next time
you hold yourself suspect
because you’re not
entirely qualified

just remember

a bird doesn’t sing
because it’s talented
a bird sings because
it has a song

the moon doesn’t only shine
when it’s whole
it can show up with
a single sliver of itself
and still light an entire
night sky

show up. sing. shine.
the world needs you
as you are.

~ © Angi Sullins : www.AngiSullins.com

[Image: Rekha Garton Photography]

13/05/2023

Let Them

Just Let them.
If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM.
If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM.
If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM.
If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM.
If they are showing you who they are and not what you perceived them to be, LET THEM.
If they want to follow the crowd, LET THEM.
If they want to judge or misunderstand you, LET THEM.
If they act like they can live without you, LET THEM.
If they want to walk out of your life and leave,
hold the door open, AND LET THEM.

Let them lose you.
You were never theirs, because you were always your own.

So let them.

Let them show you who they truly are, not tell you.
Let them prove how worthy they are of your time.
Let them make the necessary steps to be a part of your life.
Let them earn your forgiveness.
Let them call you to talk about ordinary things.
Let them take you out on a Thursday.
Let them talk about anything and everything just because it’s you they are talking to.
Let them have a safe place in you.
Let them see the heart in you that didn’t harden.
Let them love you.

Author: Cassie Phillips
Artist: Unknown
He’s The One