Today's letter was written to a friend in Santa Barbara, California. He is the one who inspired the format for the open heart letter. I don’t know that I know him well enough to explain to you who he is or what he is like. What I CAN tell you is how he made me feel. When we spoke I felt heard, I felt he accepted me as a peer and without judgement. I felt like he was genuinely inspired to know who I was, what events, joys and calamities had shaped the me that steps out in this world. I felt safe speaking to him. I felt that he trusted me, and felt honoured by this. I felt a responsibility to treat tenderly this heart which was being offered. I may not know his stories or what he does day to day, but from our few conversations I do know that I have learned something very precious from observing the way he communicates. I believe this holds so much more than the other practicalities.
When you read this my friend I want you to know I am so inspired by the change that you are willing to BE in this world. Thank you.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou
“How do you communicate in your relationships?”, is the question written inside the front page of 12 days journal #12.
I saw a wild journal today. I was sitting writing a letter and preparing 12 days journal #12, when I looked up and saw a journal sitting on a table. I was actually a little startled to see it, seemed out of context. The man sitting at the table smiled knowingly at me. He must have seen me preparing the other journal. It felt a little funny, to share a secret with this man. I remember seeing him up on Pulpit one day with a womyn who I met nearly 2 years ago. I was surfing with her when my partner sustained a head injury which still effects him and our family and likely always will. This womyn was then one of the doctors he later saw. Now her partner has one of the journals...how the world works in such interesting ways. Connections everywhere!
Wow! What a crazy connection!
ReplyDeleteEverything I say and do communicates to those I have relationships with. I try to be consistent with my words and actions so that they don't give others mixed messages about what I am communicating (not that I don't mess up on that sometimes, esp. with my kids).
I communicate more with my words, though, and have made it a goal for myself to rediscover that part of me which used to be so much better at communicating with my body. I need to revive that, for myself as well as those I love.
Thank you, Bernice.