Jude, This piece moved me deeply. As I read, I found myself thinking about the way pressure, time, and the elements transform what they touch. Stone is shaped by weather. Rough edges are softened by water. Something once hidden can be slowly revealed.
Perhaps we are a little like that. Life changes us, presses on us, polishes us, and reveals something we could not have known in our earlier forms. I love the way you name this invitation — not to vanish, not to apologize, but to stand in the light of who we have become. Changed, yes. Still becoming, yes. And still worthy of being received.
Yes - you and I are definitely sisters from different mothers! Given the way I resonate with your own writing, I suspect our hearts are similar and we see the world in similar ways, although we approach from different circumstances and experiences. Very happy to have made this connection.💜
I think the task of a teacher/writer is to capture the insights that often go unnoticed and present them in a way that is accessible and relatable to others, allowing others to go deeper into their own experience, in ways that become uniquely their own. I know you do that for me, and hopefully I’m doing that for others.🌿
Jude, this touches me deeply. I, too, am very happy we have made this connection on Substack. This is the magic of this place.
I love what you say about the task of a teacher/writer—to notice what often goes unnoticed and help others enter more deeply into their own experience. I am so grateful for your writing that resonates with me on a deeply personal level. 🌿
Thank you so much for this insight on Paul and the rest of us. He has always been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. I have seen him many times in concert. This one I watched on a live stream since I wasn’t well enough to travel. He has never disappointed. Your analysis is spot on. He reminds me of ME as I change in my life. I bless him for showing us how we can still be relevant and bring joy to others. And bless YOU for putting it all together so well in this essay. Stay well.
Thank you so much, Miriam, for sharing your thoughts. I actually can’t stop thinking about that concert. Not because it was technically perfect. It wasn’t. But because it was so humanly perfect. I left feeling inspired rather than entertained, with my own process shifted as a result. Because as youth slides away, depth and wisdom slips in to take its place - and that’s something we should be proud of, not something to hide. But the point is, do we rise up and proudly embrace what is, as Paul Simon did, or do we hang onto what was, pretending it hasn’t changed? And that’s the invitation.🌿
Jude, This piece moved me deeply. As I read, I found myself thinking about the way pressure, time, and the elements transform what they touch. Stone is shaped by weather. Rough edges are softened by water. Something once hidden can be slowly revealed.
Perhaps we are a little like that. Life changes us, presses on us, polishes us, and reveals something we could not have known in our earlier forms. I love the way you name this invitation — not to vanish, not to apologize, but to stand in the light of who we have become. Changed, yes. Still becoming, yes. And still worthy of being received.
Yes - you and I are definitely sisters from different mothers! Given the way I resonate with your own writing, I suspect our hearts are similar and we see the world in similar ways, although we approach from different circumstances and experiences. Very happy to have made this connection.💜
I think the task of a teacher/writer is to capture the insights that often go unnoticed and present them in a way that is accessible and relatable to others, allowing others to go deeper into their own experience, in ways that become uniquely their own. I know you do that for me, and hopefully I’m doing that for others.🌿
Jude, this touches me deeply. I, too, am very happy we have made this connection on Substack. This is the magic of this place.
I love what you say about the task of a teacher/writer—to notice what often goes unnoticed and help others enter more deeply into their own experience. I am so grateful for your writing that resonates with me on a deeply personal level. 🌿
Thank you so much for this insight on Paul and the rest of us. He has always been one of my favorite singer-songwriters. I have seen him many times in concert. This one I watched on a live stream since I wasn’t well enough to travel. He has never disappointed. Your analysis is spot on. He reminds me of ME as I change in my life. I bless him for showing us how we can still be relevant and bring joy to others. And bless YOU for putting it all together so well in this essay. Stay well.
Thank you so much, Miriam, for sharing your thoughts. I actually can’t stop thinking about that concert. Not because it was technically perfect. It wasn’t. But because it was so humanly perfect. I left feeling inspired rather than entertained, with my own process shifted as a result. Because as youth slides away, depth and wisdom slips in to take its place - and that’s something we should be proud of, not something to hide. But the point is, do we rise up and proudly embrace what is, as Paul Simon did, or do we hang onto what was, pretending it hasn’t changed? And that’s the invitation.🌿