Hi friends,
We come to the end of this series, and I am full of so much gratitude for all of you. Thank you for being part of this community.
It may seem scary to do so, but the last thing I want us to say yes to right now is the unknown future.
When you live in a particularly visceral time, it can bring up a few different responses:
we avoid the future, because we don’t know how to process what’s ahead
we fantasize to the point that we lose ourselves in what hasn’t been created yet
we hold immense fear that keeps us from dreaming so we feel trapped
we face the future, knowing it’s unclear, ready for whatever comes
I want us to choose #4.
And I want to talk about this with you through the lens of huskies, because why not?
This video is by Blair Braverman, an author, adventurer, and musher. She is sharing about her Husky, Refried, and the power of our voices echoing into the future.
This is what I want us to focus on today.
In order to say yes to the unknown future, we say yes to the present moment. This is what makes the future possible.
So in this story, Refried’s song lives on in the lives of her kin, her community. I don’t know about you (well actually, I do, I do know about you), but I want my song to live on in my community.
This is the only way we can truly prepare for an unknown future: to sing right now.
As an author, I feel this keenly. When I pass on one day my words whether in book form or on YouTube or in audio books will hopefully be accessible for those who come after me.
If we are ancestors in the making, that means we pay attention to the world we are creating right here, right now.
In my new book, Everything Is a Story, I write about this. I guide us through visualizations, helping us ask what kinds of seeds we are planting in the ground. That’s because I believe that whatever we are planting right now will become the future that is unknown to us right now.
Time doesn’t work the way we think it does.
Time loops and spirals and spins, ebbing and flowing in waves.
That’s the kind of time I believe in, the kind I hope is actually reality. Because that means we have so many moments, so many chances to get it right.
Refried the husky was so invested in her song, in the well-being of her community, that her spirit lived on in all of them collectively. They carried her on into their everyday lives long after she passed to the Otherworld.
So, what’s left for us to do?
Ask questions. Take a look at the seeds we are planting.
Reflections:
If you could name three seeds you’re planting right now, what would they be called?
What kind of essence do you want to leave for future generations?
In order to recognize that we are ancestors in the making, we have to come to terms with who we are, and where we come from. How can you intentionally lean into this?
Picture future generations. Give them names and faces. Imagine their lives, what they might need from you. How can you curate a life that gives them your presence even now?
Below is a short film by one of my favorite artists, Leif Vollebekk, featuring Aurora. I think it’s a film that actually speaks to this, to the unknown future that we can’t quite understand, even the inner world, the world of dreams and visions we seek to know.
Spend 15 minutes watching it sometime soon, and enjoy!
March is a pretty busy month for me, so I won’t be posting as often, but keep an eye out for future online workshops, writing groups, and some of my in-person events!
As always, thanks for being part of this community.
Sneak peek of a workshop happening April 10th called Tender Resister Workshop!
Only 15 spots available!
my long-distance friend and I often start our day with coffee and discussion. We laugh, we cry we change the world and then we do the dishes… You know like every other human tends to do… Your writing is often our catalyst for looking at things in new ways… Dreaming big of a future in which all can be seen felt and heard.
our Friday call was cut short. I learned this weekend that the culprit was an aortic aneurysm. I’m reading along with your words today about uncertainty and once again, your words are serving to ground me in right now… Not what happens in the next 48 hours. I’m grateful. Ever so grateful. With much love from our homes in Washington state and Massachusetts…Anne
Of course you know Blair! I have taken many photos of her :) haha!
Love this as usual!