Ponder away! It gets a little heady. But where do our ancestors exists if not here and now? If that's true, then how we carry ourselves must impact them, right?
This conversation sums up a whole lot of the wisdom I've been blessed to receive from Thich Nhat Hanh about ancestors:
"Through transforming what was passed to me, I change my father because my children will not know him as a source of pain." Yes! It takes a lot of courage and emotional fortitude and health to dig through this pain. Thank you for doing it for yourself, your family and for letting the rest of come along on the journey. We are learning from you. I thank you most for the grace you transmit. It's so delightfully refreshing. Blessings as you continue this journey!
That part about sharing the journey: I get self-conscious about it sometimes, but I'm growing in my confidence. I don't have all the answers, just an ability and desire to articulate what I've learned (which is small in quantity) and am what I'm still wondering about (which is very large).
Grace. What a big one. What a beautifully, dumfoundingly big one.
You worded that just fine, Casey. Thank you. I also hope my audience can grow, and I'm working to take to heart your encouragement that if I continue to serve the calling and hone the craft, the readers will come.
I dropped a reply on your other comment to my recent Pride post, but I'll ask here too in case you're more likely to see it: I'm just kinda curious how the story I wrote is helpful for you as a teacher. Care to share?
mmmh well as a teacher, it is scary to be vulnerable and talk about difficult subjects. So many times we stay away from hard-to-talk-about issues, but both pieces are great reminders that you can always find an age-appropriate way to talk about anything.
It's also a reminder, not talking about something and avoiding a topic says something too.
I like what you're saying about there being an age-appropriate way to talk about anything. I think that's true. There's a book about death and grieving that I've been slowly making my way through since the fall, and I just got to a portion about talking to kids who have terminal illnesses-- like even really little kids-- about death and the reality of what is going to happen for them. I cannot imagine having that conversation with a child, and I haven't really read much about what the author has to say. But I bring it up just to say that I think you're right: kids are smart, and they're ready for topics we sometimes shield them from or don't know how to talk with them about.
I agree with the overall statement- but I think a more correct statement is “there is an age appropriate way to talk about anything, but I’m only confident in talking about some.”
For sure. That's the case for me, too, and once I'm a parent, I'm sure I'll learn that it's true in all kinds of ways that I can't even fathom right now.
No long comment from me this time. Just sending a big hug. Most people can't break the cycle. Kudos to you for putting in the work. Stay inspiring!
PS: Come back to Virginia some time, and bring your banjo.
Thanks, Dan. It's an ongoing process for me and for all of us.
I love the idea that we can heal our ancestors somehow with our own healing. I'm going to be pondering that for a long time.
Ponder away! It gets a little heady. But where do our ancestors exists if not here and now? If that's true, then how we carry ourselves must impact them, right?
This conversation sums up a whole lot of the wisdom I've been blessed to receive from Thich Nhat Hanh about ancestors:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connecting-to-our-roots-ancestors-continuation-and/id1579910767?i=1000534891532
"Through transforming what was passed to me, I change my father because my children will not know him as a source of pain." Yes! It takes a lot of courage and emotional fortitude and health to dig through this pain. Thank you for doing it for yourself, your family and for letting the rest of come along on the journey. We are learning from you. I thank you most for the grace you transmit. It's so delightfully refreshing. Blessings as you continue this journey!
I appreciate that, Sue.
That part about sharing the journey: I get self-conscious about it sometimes, but I'm growing in my confidence. I don't have all the answers, just an ability and desire to articulate what I've learned (which is small in quantity) and am what I'm still wondering about (which is very large).
Grace. What a big one. What a beautifully, dumfoundingly big one.
Blessings to you, too :)
Wish I could word this comment better, but thanks for writing. It means a lot to mean and I hope more people can read what you’re writing.
You worded that just fine, Casey. Thank you. I also hope my audience can grow, and I'm working to take to heart your encouragement that if I continue to serve the calling and hone the craft, the readers will come.
I dropped a reply on your other comment to my recent Pride post, but I'll ask here too in case you're more likely to see it: I'm just kinda curious how the story I wrote is helpful for you as a teacher. Care to share?
mmmh well as a teacher, it is scary to be vulnerable and talk about difficult subjects. So many times we stay away from hard-to-talk-about issues, but both pieces are great reminders that you can always find an age-appropriate way to talk about anything.
It's also a reminder, not talking about something and avoiding a topic says something too.
I like what you're saying about there being an age-appropriate way to talk about anything. I think that's true. There's a book about death and grieving that I've been slowly making my way through since the fall, and I just got to a portion about talking to kids who have terminal illnesses-- like even really little kids-- about death and the reality of what is going to happen for them. I cannot imagine having that conversation with a child, and I haven't really read much about what the author has to say. But I bring it up just to say that I think you're right: kids are smart, and they're ready for topics we sometimes shield them from or don't know how to talk with them about.
I agree with the overall statement- but I think a more correct statement is “there is an age appropriate way to talk about anything, but I’m only confident in talking about some.”
For sure. That's the case for me, too, and once I'm a parent, I'm sure I'll learn that it's true in all kinds of ways that I can't even fathom right now.