and how shall soft people close out a hard year?

a restful musing

Photo by Thomas Griggs on Unsplash

*There are a lot of new subscribers to this page and I am so thankful that you’ve chosen to take up a seat at this small part of the internet that I have chosen to cultivate. I write about various things on this Substack, but on Sundays I do my best to give something…some thing that will provide some sort of ease for the week that we are leaving and for the week that is ahead of us. Thank you to everyone who has been here for a month, two months, or years in my writing journey. Let me start with a reading from Marian Wright Edelman that always makes me feel at home:

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I am serious about closing out the year softly. A mixture of voices usually beckon us to grind into the new year! to hurry to set goals that will make our lives more fulfilling! to do something at the end of this year that will mean that your life was worth something! Personally, I find that my body resists these type of calls. I can’t try any harder than I already have. And so I’ve always endeavored to land as gently as I can. To bring a year to a close acknowledging the points of joy that went unnoticed. To sit with the griefs that I did not allow myself the space to feel. (Tears fill my eyes as I write that last sentence and I know that my heart is beckoning me to feel some hidden pains.) I write this particular restful musing for the softhearted ones. The sensitive ones. The ones always accused of feeling too deeply. The “it’s not that serious” ones. I write because we deserve a landing pad.

“Remember you are

the softest love

you will ever have.” Nikita Gill

I don’t despise the early days of a new year. They come with a renewed determination, a vigor for life and meaning that are infectious. I like those days. And I dream. I plan. I weep over goals that I haven’t been able to attain. I weep over goals that I am too ashamed to name because they seem so insignificant. The top of the year is a messy affair and I try to mitigate that by having a few checkpoints throughout the year to begin again. To renew my path. (Hint: one of those checkpoints is after the beauty that I find Black History Month.) Getting off the ground in January can feel exhilarating! But ending the year can feel like a crash landing. And so, I’m slowing my pace and sitting in the moment. For the next few weeks I plan on enjoying the sunshine streaming through my window, lighten the load of all of my work responsibilities as much as possible (ya boy still needs to eat and keep a job), spend time writing my poetry, call those that I love, write letters, go for long walks, drink my coffee/tea even slower than I already do…I want to get every last bit of life out of this year.

I saw this beautiful graphic online and just knew I had to include it in my newsletter. You can see that @letsbelonelytogether created it.

And so…how do you plan on landing this year gently?

I have to leave this beautiful, beautiful few lines of writing from

Winifred Liam

that really caused me to stop and think recently:

*This will be my last Sunday of writing until the new year. I am a bit sad and anxious to type that. It’s hard for me to take a break from this place because I do love it so much. And. It would be hypocritical for me to talk about landing the year gently if I didn’t give myself the gift of rest. I hope you will stick around for my return. I also have an essay or two for premium subscribers…but that’s it. Also…go back and read my old stuff. This is me. Bless ya’ll for everyone who shares my work, who has bought me a coffee, who has engaged with me in the comments…ya’ll are beautiful. Truly I say unto thee :) Rest as much as you can. You deserve it.