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Hello friends, I know some of you have noticed that after mostly swearing it off a few months ago, Instagram and I have started to patch things up a bit. I decided that after some time apart I was ready to give it another go, while setting some healthy boundaries. It’s a useful tool and a great way to stay connected to people, art, and ideas; the magic trick is to keep it from taking over your life. I have to say, it’s been nice to be back. But this last week my Instagram feed has felt a little like continuous whiplash. It’s been all the usual posts I enjoy of creative inspiration, social activism, a little humor, and the occasional recipe, peppered now with headlines of war, images of destruction, reflections from the heartbroken, and photographs of refugees desperately attempting to flee their country. It’s the refugees that get me, every damn time. It’s difficult, isn't it, to see a visual reminder of what’s going on in one post, and people going about their normal lives in the next? It’s hard to focus on anything else when you know somewhere out there people’s lives are falling completely apart in the most brutal way. Of course the harsh reality is that lives are falling apart, wherever you call home, right around you, every day. Still, it’s jarring and heartbreaking to watch it all unfold in real time on such a large scale, in such a horrific way. When things like this happen I always wrestle with these ideas: how can we hold the fear and the pain we feel for others, but also watch much of the world around us go on like nothing is happening. I think giving grace is the only way, to ourselves and to each other. The truth is that sometimes we need the distraction of everyday life. It’s part of why I wrote Permission to Play (below), on the day that I did. When life is at its hardest we have to give ourselves the permission to do the everyday things, not in spite of the difficulty, but rather because of it. We don’t stop laughing when we grieve; we need the laughter to remind us that we’re alive, and to give us what we need to keep going. So if you need to feel the sadness, the despair, and the fear, then feel them. Feel them all. It’s important to acknowledge those moments. But when life offers you moments of distraction, of laughter or lightness, then take them. Take every one of them. And allow others the same. Much, much love to you all. Thanks again to each of you for being here. And as always, y’all know how much I love hearing from you, so write me back! kg PS - I’m trying a little different format for the blog; the main blog page now contains all of the posts and photos since my last newsletter on one page. No more clicking to go between posts, and no chance you’ll miss anything new. Yay! If you like it (or even if you don’t) I’d love to hear!
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