Wow the wave of memories this brings back. The feeling of hearing that my Grandmother had passed away on the answering machine. Coming home to the house the weekend after my partner of 17 years moved out and my friends calling to say they were on their way with dinner. Sitting at the hospital with a friend as her husband died (and wanting to do something, ANYTHING to make it easier!) These are the moments you meet yourself in a half lit room and try to make out the face you are seeing. Those moments when you cannot remember who you thought you were and discover that you aren't the same person who woke up this morning. You come home, again and again, to someone new and you have to get reacquainted with yourself, and it takes a really long time, patience, and persistence. It's so tempting to ignore it and try to fit back in the old clothes, but now you are new wine, and the old wine skins don't work. Keep trying and you'll find out exactly how badly they don't work.
Ultimately, you have to find a new way to nourish yourself, care for yourself, and take a break from taking care of everyone else for just a short rest. Then you can get your feet back under yourself and start again, but in an entirely different way.
Wow the wave of memories this brings back. The feeling of hearing that my Grandmother had passed away on the answering machine. Coming home to the house the weekend after my partner of 17 years moved out and my friends calling to say they were on their way with dinner. Sitting at the hospital with a friend as her husband died (and wanting to do something, ANYTHING to make it easier!) These are the moments you meet yourself in a half lit room and try to make out the face you are seeing. Those moments when you cannot remember who you thought you were and discover that you aren't the same person who woke up this morning. You come home, again and again, to someone new and you have to get reacquainted with yourself, and it takes a really long time, patience, and persistence. It's so tempting to ignore it and try to fit back in the old clothes, but now you are new wine, and the old wine skins don't work. Keep trying and you'll find out exactly how badly they don't work.
Ultimately, you have to find a new way to nourish yourself, care for yourself, and take a break from taking care of everyone else for just a short rest. Then you can get your feet back under yourself and start again, but in an entirely different way.
Jeff, wow. Reading this was poignant, beautiful, and intense. Thank you for working this material with us.