On togetherness, quick reflections, and allowing myself the space to grow
I’m not usually a writer of the night, but here I am, 9 pm on a Tuesday, wondering what wants to come through. Then again, things just come through when they’re ready to — I try to get out of the way as best I can.
Initial reflections on November ~ togetherness, open heart, you can never have too much cranberry sauce, ceasefire now, creation, contraction, what’s the point?, the point is everything, family time, sweetness abound.
Something I feel endlessly grateful for is the way Juulia allows me into her family sphere. For Thanksgiving, I got to join her & her siblings in their yearly Thanksgiving-in-Rhode-Island tradition.
When I was younger, I wished I had family time that looked like what a week in Rhode Island feels like. My family time felt more forced & strained than easeful & sweet. We didn’t have much in common besides being related, so things often felt like obligation rather than a true desire for closeness.
This year, I found myself looking forward to Thanksgiving. Time spent in Rhode Island reminds me of all the ways togetherness nourishes my heart — game nights, warmth, lounging, group walks, delicious meals, quiet comfort, easy conversation, coziness, quality time.
I remember I said to someone: a holiday week in Rhode Island feels like something out of a movie. It is nothing short of a gift to be included. This isn’t to compare my family time but rather to return to what I know: tending to joy and true togetherness will always bring more beauty.
Highlights of November center around this week of togetherness. Additional higlights include: a date to Storm King, connection calls, breathwork offerings, calls with my business mastermind, a sound bath, game nights, the Great British Baking Show, getting to see my friends Liv & Steff (& their new puppy!) in Rhode Island, and cozy time at home with Juulia & Nigel, both of whom have my heart.
With December comes deeper nesting & more internal time spent reflecting on the year, parsing through what is working and what isn’t. (That, and ruminating on my Spotify Wrapped — lol.)
What do I desire for my day-to-day life?
How do I want to show up in my relationships?
What form do I want my work to take?
What needs shifting in my work?
What wants to come through?
Is there anything I’m a yes to?
Is there anything I’m a no to?
Where can I bring a softer gentleness?
Where can I bring my fire?
I’m always learning how to adjust accordingly, to allow myself room to grow & evolve & figure out what’s actually resonating vs. what I wish would resonate. The space to grow, I will always allow myself. This I know for certain.
I came across this poem while reading a recent newsletter by
and loved it so much that I figured I’d leave you all with it, too. It seems quite pertinent for these times.What God Is
I don’t want to hear what God is
from a book or a capitalist.
A bearded man on a spiritual quest
or from a pulpit.
I don’t want to hear about sin
or that desire leads to suffering.I want a God who is Tantric,
moves slow from toe to crown.
One who appears in fire, in lotus
and between breath.I want a God who watches
from as far as Sirius, close as skin—
bright star, obsidian.I want a God who is an artist,
a woman, a man. One who labors
and bleeds, suckles on the afterbirth.I want a God small enough
to watch the sun fall
into the Pacific.
To climb a eucalyptus,
to ravage a wild blackberry.A God who takes pride in skinning
the mule deer, finds pleasure
in its helpless sway.I want God to walk down
the golden staircase
for a taste
of this delicious hell.— Kathryn de Lancellotti
Thank you for reading sacred attention, as always. I hope you do something sweet for yourself today — maybe even listen to the sweet sounds of Lauryn Hill while you’re at it?
<3
Christie