Juniper

The other morning, I sat down with my coffee and asked Chatgpt what I thought was a harmless question. "Can you explain what I do in a playful way?" I was looking for words. Not revelations. Certainly not another layer of healing. Just words. The responses made me smile. A lantern keeper. An emotional archaeologist. A librarian for lost selves. Then something unexpected happened. Every description made my stomach tighten, and my energy contract. Without thinking, I wrote, "These are too big...

A season where life removed my ability to outrun myself. That phrase landed deeply for me because that's exactly what it felt like. I couldn't rush my healing. I couldn't push harder. I couldn't simply decide to be further along than I was. My body set the pace. And whether I liked it or not, I had to learn to listen.

And maybe that’s part of what I’m learning to make peace with. The fact that profound growth and ordinary humanity exist together. That we can hold meaningful space for others while still being imperfect, self-conscious, emotional, awkward, messy human beings.