Loss, Grief, Chaos
and few good men.
Since the murder of Renee Nicole Good last Wednesday, I have thought about it a lot and one crystal clear aspect of the shitshow that has been the last decade is this: there are but two men in my circle that I would trust. I’m talking about a whole-spectrum trust ranging from “with my life” to not doing the fucked-up, misogynistic “wrap it up” thing with their finger when I’m trying to explain something. TWO. Ladies - how many do you have?
Also, when was the last year that January didn’t suck? I’m pretty sure it’s been at least five years. Nope - I stand corrected. After polling my Yoga students, they tell me it’s been a decade.
In trying to cope with the horrendousness of what has been this past week, I’ve had to listen to a self-prescribed playlist mix consisting of the clotted cream mixture of Don McLean, The Carpenters, and Rage Against the Machine. Listening to this while walking into 30 mph winds, I am also holding tight to the emotional tether of my Yoga family in the United States. I’ve also been pacing around the house feeling time-warp-y, like I don’t know where I am; sad and pissed off all at the same time. I have literally had to move the 12-inch kitchen clock into my teaching space so that I can prevent teaching a 2-hour Yoga class by mistake.
I have written before about how we need to focus more of our energy on caring for one another as a part of daily life, not just for those who are sick and/or dying. It is again time to take stock of your life and the people in it. I call this identifying your orbit. Identify your neighbors, your friends, family, co-workers, all of the children in your orbit, and take responsibility for them. Check in, make a call, bake or cook and deliver food, reach out, drive someone somewhere, ask if you can help. Random acts of kindness need to amp the fuck up.
And why is January such a death-month? More people die in January than any other month. Why do souls choose it like the Superbowl of soul-exodus? Because of the cold? Someone out there enlighten me, please. When you Google the question, it responds with the reason being “flu season and the lingering effects of holiday stress.” Holiday stress?
Everything else I want to say regarding this moment, Marianne Williamson says beautifully in her recent Substack post and video here: Brute Force vs. Soul Force. Subscribe to her Substack if you haven’t already. She is and has been a major force of good for over 30 years.
Hang on everyone - we will turn this shit around.
Hey, Nebraska... WTF?
Take care of yourself. Let’s take care of each other. Make and eat this: Protein Wrap
Meanwhile, here’s the “clotted cream” playlist: In Case of Emergency (Caution to the Disney Princess Ears out there).
Love & Blessings,
