Feels like a theme I see popping up in a lot of our work lately. Being seen and kind and tender to ourselves. Is it just me? Appreciate you for mentioning the library. It really made my day - it's so much work. But I love the feeling people get when they feel loved and celebrated. Appreciate you family.
"To be (a) tender" is such a beautiful line as you tend to yourself and others you give yourself space to be tender. As you love you give yourself space to be loved. There's so much power in allowing yourself to be soft there's so much strength in somone choosing to love despite all the hate around them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
I feel like I should've had my classical jazz piano playing in the background as I read this because it gave me similar feels. Both personally and professionally I've been in a space of wanting more opportunities to be safely tender and unafraid of the negatives that come along with daring to be so. Thank you for the invitation and for the gentle landing space. Also, "God Morning" was my alarm for a certain period of time and you took me back for there for a minute with the video.
Mmmm ... this piece feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. I can just sit out and look at it and feel unbothered about whatever doing my mind says still needs to be done. I love this inquiry of tenderness and the effort it takes to let ourselves unfold here. My partner introduced me to a new meditation practice while we were falling asleep last night. He said, "just let yourself feel the soft bed, our dog is sleeping in the room next door, it's quiet, it's dark, just be." I fell right to sleep and when I woke thought, oh goodness, I need this all the time. Right now it's overcast. A breeze ruffles the prayers flags outside. I can hear my fingers striking the keys. A moment of presence, a moment where I might access (a) tenderness. Thank you for this.
I cherish these sprinklings of the definitions of tender as you put it. Really grateful that you have arrived at a place of tending to yourself in this way, it's so affirming to see others living as slowly and kindly as possible. I also started college 10 years ago and have some similar thoughts as you. At the start of 2024 I was thinking how much softer and kinder I became to and for myself and how academia and the sisterhood that came out of it helped me see the need to be softer. I haven't looked back and it seems the same for you <3
I relate to sacrificing the body for the sake of scholarship. Med school really upped the ante on that expecting higher and higher levels of physical and emotional sacrifice and demanding that shell to keep bad out get really thick. I am tender about letting all of those suppressed feelings and sensations out in messy, inconsistent ways and feel called to be a tender to create community and creativity so others have space to do the same (song circle for doctors, anyone? :))
I had this post saved, and it feels like I sat down to read it at the right moment. There's so much within this piece that I am going to have to sit with and dissect as I reflect on myself, the origin of my tenderness, and also my need to rush through life in a hurried form. These words definitely stirred something up in my soul (in a good way). Thank you for sharing.
Feels like a theme I see popping up in a lot of our work lately. Being seen and kind and tender to ourselves. Is it just me? Appreciate you for mentioning the library. It really made my day - it's so much work. But I love the feeling people get when they feel loved and celebrated. Appreciate you family.
This post helped ease my flaring anxiety today
"To be (a) tender" is such a beautiful line as you tend to yourself and others you give yourself space to be tender. As you love you give yourself space to be loved. There's so much power in allowing yourself to be soft there's so much strength in somone choosing to love despite all the hate around them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
I feel like I should've had my classical jazz piano playing in the background as I read this because it gave me similar feels. Both personally and professionally I've been in a space of wanting more opportunities to be safely tender and unafraid of the negatives that come along with daring to be so. Thank you for the invitation and for the gentle landing space. Also, "God Morning" was my alarm for a certain period of time and you took me back for there for a minute with the video.
Mmmm ... this piece feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. I can just sit out and look at it and feel unbothered about whatever doing my mind says still needs to be done. I love this inquiry of tenderness and the effort it takes to let ourselves unfold here. My partner introduced me to a new meditation practice while we were falling asleep last night. He said, "just let yourself feel the soft bed, our dog is sleeping in the room next door, it's quiet, it's dark, just be." I fell right to sleep and when I woke thought, oh goodness, I need this all the time. Right now it's overcast. A breeze ruffles the prayers flags outside. I can hear my fingers striking the keys. A moment of presence, a moment where I might access (a) tenderness. Thank you for this.
Elegantly stated and beautifully conveyed! Thanks for this
Felt this in my gut. Thank you!
Your writing is a gift! I look forward to every article... THANK YOU. The journey to tenderness can be lonely but oh so worth it.
I cherish these sprinklings of the definitions of tender as you put it. Really grateful that you have arrived at a place of tending to yourself in this way, it's so affirming to see others living as slowly and kindly as possible. I also started college 10 years ago and have some similar thoughts as you. At the start of 2024 I was thinking how much softer and kinder I became to and for myself and how academia and the sisterhood that came out of it helped me see the need to be softer. I haven't looked back and it seems the same for you <3
I relate to sacrificing the body for the sake of scholarship. Med school really upped the ante on that expecting higher and higher levels of physical and emotional sacrifice and demanding that shell to keep bad out get really thick. I am tender about letting all of those suppressed feelings and sensations out in messy, inconsistent ways and feel called to be a tender to create community and creativity so others have space to do the same (song circle for doctors, anyone? :))
I had this post saved, and it feels like I sat down to read it at the right moment. There's so much within this piece that I am going to have to sit with and dissect as I reflect on myself, the origin of my tenderness, and also my need to rush through life in a hurried form. These words definitely stirred something up in my soul (in a good way). Thank you for sharing.
This is incredibly beautiful. Thank you for this!