Tag Archives: writing

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Seen.

When you are seen.

The “I see you” is a compliment of the highest placement in our human condition.

“Being seen” refers to feeling recognized and valued for your true self, fulfilling a basic human need for connection and belonging. It involves acknowledgment through validation and support, the complete opposite of invisibility or neglect.

Recently I posted a short video of the tree in our front yard. It seems that ever since we moved there, this tree has had an every-other-year burst of just the most beautiful fall color change I have ever seen in a tree. She is a Japanese Maple tree I believe.  Her reds are just gorgeous, and in the summer, she is equally beautiful. I sit on the porch a lot and look at her.  I watch the birds go from limb to limb.  It’s a whole thing.

Under the video a few days later in the comment section, a friend that lives away from me posted a picture of a beautiful red tree she saw where she lives. No words, just the tree photo.  What that meant was, in that moment, she thought of me, my tree, and she saw me.

                                                                         

We have one of those bird cams hanging in our yard.  I cannot tell you the endless joy this has brought.  As one does, I post videos from the footage all the time!  I am absolutely enamored by this!   Sometimes, I even get a touch of guilt that I am seeing these beautiful creatures so up close, like I am ruining all their secrets. One day I opened a social media app and found that I was tagged in a video by another friend, who lives away from me.  I checked and it was a bird related video.  She typed under her tag that she never sees a bird video without thinking of me.  I watched the video, with a tear welling up, because in that moment I was seen. Thought of, and appreciated.

                                                                       

There are plenty of times we feel invisible. We feel that we are not being heard. Which leads to a lot of inner dialogue that can be pretty self-defeating. This is definitely a lonely and isolating moment.

One of the things we must understand is that every single one of us is valuable. We are valuable without any outside validation. We are all worthy.  YOU are worthy.

If you do not feel seen or heard or even understood – do all of those things for yourself!  Know who you are, what you feel, and tell yourself how beautiful and wonderful and worthy you are. Every. Single. Day.  All day if you want.

Each day, look in the mirror, and say your name with authority.  Your full name.  Speak into the universe that you are worthy.  There will be people that speak our name.  Whether it is good or bad, you can create the energy that whenever and wherever you name is spoken, that energy comes back to you in power and positive and beautiful – just like you.

I will give you a key as well.  If in a moment you see something that reminds you of someone, TELL THEM.  Two things happen.  They are seen, and you are completely understood and seen in that moment.

Today, may you feel seen, worthy, and valuable. Because all of that is truth.

Peace,

Cathy

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Turning hurt to something Majestic.

Several years ago, I was part of an organization that held a yearly fundraising event that was just spectacular. The community looked forward to it, and when the current year’s event was complete, the planning for the next year’s event immediately began.  This was enormous work.

I was honored to be a part of this. We enjoyed the planning. It was fun, it was community, relationship building, and the good work.

Day of there was so much excitement and half the fun was the set up. The night went wonderfully.  There were speeches of thanks, and glowing complimenting of all involved.

I remember standing in a social circle talking and laughing and enjoying the music as everything began to wind down.  Goodbyes and more hugs and thank yous and see you next weeks.  I turned around to find most of the team was long gone.

The cleanup, at close to midnight, began with me and two others. They took all the accolades, applause, and awards with them. 

I often reflect on that night.  It is much like life.  There will be people who will leave for you a mess to clean up as they walk by smiling.

There will be no accountability either.  All you are left with is the hurt they caused, and only you will know how hard it was to clean that all up. You are tired, they will sleep.

There is a person in my life who recently caused harm to me, and as I dwell on this experience, I recalled the fundraising event and how it felt to be left with all that clean up.

 I watch as others around her, just absolutely love her. The applause and awards are all around her.  I joined in to that too though. I loved this person, but when I turned around, I saw the mess she left for me.  The mess of my crushed spirit.

 I am tired, she sleeps.

I think we learn from these things, and it may even be possible to be stronger after that.

Science tells us that when branches from a tree are cut, there is left a wound on the tree. Sometimes even a whole new branch will grow from the trimmed one, but you will always be able to see where the branch was originally cut.  The tree becomes healthier when it is trimmed. Stronger. Majestic – even while wounded.

We can turn around, and the mess is cleaned. We will rest.

Peace.

Cath

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Walk

Years ago, I fell down my basement steps. I had my phone in my hand, texting, lost my footing, and down she went.  I ended up with my ankle broken in three places, surgery, pins and rods and a spring and summer that year of recovery.

Never a confident person on my feet.  I often fall up steps, never quite judged a door frame correctly, and often fall or trip over nothing.  When I do these things, I am usually quite mad at the door frame for being in the same place all the time and will look back at the nothing I tripped over in disgust.  This has me always walking with my head down, looking at my feet.  Watching where I am going, eyes out for obstacles or that nothing, knowing where I am going, yet not looking ahead. The treadmill is no different.  Head down and find it difficult to follow along on a video workout because – the look down.

Lately I have been looking at this differently.  Why am I doing this?  Watching every single step.  Sure, it MIGHT keep me from falling, I MIGHT avoid that crack or nothing and not trip. The thing is, I am not looking ahead.  I am not seeing where I am going, I just know where I am going. I am not looking around and seeing the things around me very often.

We have all seen and heard these things:

                Head up!  Eyes Forward! Shoulders Back!  Walk with Confidence!

I have begun to consciously walk with all those things above.  I know where I am going.  I know I am on the right path of this life.  There are going to be things that might trip me up or slow me down. There are doorways in life that I might not correctly judge and bump into them on the way out or in.  I might fall on my way up, but guess what?  It is still heading up.  I might be down, but in what way? How long?

We know what we are doing.  YOU know what you are doing.  I believe that every human knows what they are built for. There are things that get in the way.  Life happens and takes us off a path.  Sidelines us.  Might even stop us. We hurt sometimes. Maybe we hurt all the time. Life can cause deep wounds that will always be there. Where bandage can be in the press forward. The falling up. Even in the falling face down.

Remember that the nothings of life are there too, to trip is up.  Look at those with disgust and keep pressing forward. Eyes up, shoulders back, head up, WALK in confidence. 

Bump a few door frames and WALK THOUGH.

Peace to you.