In Order to Survive...
|
Hello friends, What does it mean to survive? To build a life against grim odds? To grow beautiful, despite hardship? To band together with others like you, however distant? On a recent walk, I stopped, mid-conversation, to wonder at the beauty of a circle of succulents growing from a rock wall. Amazing, that such a beautiful thing could find a way to live in what would seem to me to be difficult conditions to thrive. Not only was there scant soil—between the cracks, somehow?—but the plant rooted in vertical space, clinging tightly to the stone. And yes, is not that a metaphor? It is said that life finds a way, and it does. But not everyone makes it, either. I think of the gay men of my youth, dead from a disease deemed appropriate punishment for daring to live in truth instead of shadows. I think of the children, starving, as the world watches. I think of too many heartbreaking, and enraging things. Every day. Yet each day I am also reminded of the resilience of this earth, and the beauty in human faces. I am reminded of the power of creation. Connection. Survival. I think of myself, and others I know, who have made it through terrible times and found a way to not only survive, but to create and thrive. In order to survive, we must cling to life in all its terrible beauty. And then we must each find a way to help each other through. Best wishes — Thorn Reminder that 50% of my Witches of Portland ebook bundle sales and 100% of Resistance Matters ebook sales from my website go to organizations fighting for immigrant justice in the US: ThornCoyleBooks To help starving families in Sudan: Displacement & Health Relief Network To help starving families in Gaza: Gaza Soup Kitchen
|
T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, Well, it was another stressful week here in the US and some other parts of the globe. When things feel overwhelming, what is important to me is to connect with what is in my physical environment. I make my bed in the morning. I wipe the kitchen counters. I set things in order. What else do I do? I make sure I go for a walk, even when I have a pile of work to do that feels endless. It is on these walks that, not only do I notice my environment, but I also catch sight of how...
Hello friends, On an old garage somewhere in Southeast Portland, someone hand lettered a large message. The bulk of it reads “Matter would not have become us if it doubted our ability to change…” Now, on one hand it reads as the start of a philosophical discussion I would’ve engaged in during my teens or early twenties. On the other hand, though? Well, it made me pause and snap a photo, didn’t it? Photo: Garage wall message: “Matter would not have become us if it doubted our ability to...
Hello friends, While walking out of an ice cream shop yesterday, I saw a faded scrap of fabric stapled to a utility pole. People had stuck their old wood ice cream spoons into holes in the pole around the fabric, creating a mini art and sculpture installation. I recognized the fabric, of course, as being an old piece from local artist Shanalee Hampton. I have several of her embroidery pieces hanging in our home, having been introduced to her work by outdoor installations just like this one....