I’ve never been a huge fan of poetry.
That said, I’m learning to appreciate how a good poem can pack an outsized punch in limited words. This one by writer-activist Lydia Wylie-Kellermann struck me as refreshingly honest, helpful and hopeful:
Dear friends,
ask the hard questions.
Give thanks for uncertainty.
Trust yourself.
Lean into the wisdom of community.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Know that the arc is long.
Lean on the ancestors.
Ask the creatures for advice.
Follow the wind.
Know that there is no right way.
Trust others on their path.
Find yours.
Embrace the mess.
Give your life to a
holy, undeniable “Yes!”
Whatever that yes may be.
And know, that this “had to happen.”
How lucky we are to be alive!*
Here are the three lines that most impacted me:
This is a tough one. I’ve always been a sensitive deep-thinker who is concerned with “doing it right.” Add to that a life-long focus on personal development, and you can see how I can be self-analyzing to a fault. Fortunately, this is getting easier as I get older (I’m fifty-five). I’m more at peace with my foibles and frailties, and find it easier to laugh at myself.
I’m a planner. I get great satisfaction from crossing things off my to-do list, so it’s not surprising that I struggle with spontaneity. Follow the wind? But my weather app doesn’t tell me where the wind is blowing so how can I plan? This is another area of slow growth for me. Living for the past seven months as a nomad with no primary residence has forced me to learn to go with the flow more easily.
Ugh. I hate clutter. Things not being in their proper place stresses me out and makes it difficult for me to relax. While I can usually control the physical clutter of my surroundings, the emotional, mental and spiritual turmoil of life is often beyond my ability to organize. Learning to embrace and find peace in the inherent messiness of life is an ongoing challenge.
What lines resonate with you? Don’t overthink it. Let your gut identify which insights speak to you. Pick one to reflect on. Put it on a sticky note on your bathroom mirror. Let it sink into your heart and encourage you on your journey. If you do, you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.
*Lydia Wylie-Kellermann, This Sweet Earth: Walking with Our Children in the Age of Climate Collapse (Minneapolis, MN: Broadleaf Books, 2024), 17–18, 19. As shared in the Aug 24, 2024 Daily Meditation from the Center for Action and Contemplation (cac.org).
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