I am so sorry to hear you went through such pain and fear Christina, that makes me sad. But I am so glad this year has turned a corner and you’ve been relatively pain-free. Gosh don’t we take our bodies for granted until that moment when they stop working. Then all we can do is marvel at the intricacies of our biology and hope. I love the sound of more words, here’s to investing in ourselves and our craft! Onto 2024, May it be a creative one, full of words and wonder 😘
Holy Moly what a year! Would have had no idea this was going on in the background.
Thank you for sharing your story Christina. Stories like this need to be told. There is so much of value in your heroine's journey for so many different people.
I wrote this week about how I have the word "Trust" written on a piece of paper on my desk at the moment. It sits beside a vase of fresh flowers and a wooden love heart. Every time I look at it I remember to let go of the clenching and fear. "Learning to sit with uncertainty" is such a skill and can completely change our life. It's a skill I need to practice numerous times a day!
Thoughts and Positive energy coming your way from Wanaka. Jo x
Yes, it was quite a year. And there were a few extra bits that didn’t make it in too. 🫣
One of the other reasons I held off on writing about it here was due to the resistance I felt around sharing this experience, knowing that so many other folks have been / are going through worse. But then we could apply that thinking to anything, and all stay silent forever. I know I’ve found myself reflected in other people’s stories at some of the times when I’ve needed it most.
I love your “trust” visual reminder. A wooden love heart holds very happy memories for me, so thank you for bringing those bubbling to the surface too.
Hi Christina, thankyou for sharing this journey and bravo for finding the courage to follow through.
When you told me about it on the field trip, I had never heard of it, despite having studied and having an interest in rheumatology as an osteopath.
So good to hear you are moving forwards in creatively divergent ways, with such awareness.
Having also had a rare (luckily relatively short) health “experience “ this year and teetering in the edge of getting assessed on the Autism side, I can really relate. (I had a train T-shirt thing! The Flying Scotsman, I believe, at primary school.)
And feel really inspired to get something “bloody written” on substack now, by you doing it first. Love and thanks
and looking forward to reading more of your creations xxx
Shivers of joy reading this Rachel. 🧡 Let me know when you get the thing “bloody” written (I’m hearing that in the voice of the characters from The Summer Book - M and I say it all the time since I read it). I’ll be cheering you on all the way.
And sounds like that needs to be a new question on the assessment form - as a child did you obsess over a particular, unobtainable item of clothing? 😂
Hope it goes as smoothly as these things can for you. x
P.S. I had the Flying Scotsman poster on my wall. Forgot all about that until you mentioned it.
I am sorry to hear this and I totally get the fear of writing it publicly. Your writing is brave and honest, thank you. You have made tough decisions about what is important for self care, I have no doubt this will lead to evolution in words and life. I am excited to see where your poetry takes you. Wishing you good health and creativity in 2024 xxx
As Lynne says, we don't know how precious our health is until it's swiped away, and it's never quite in the way you may have feared, either. I am so glad you have shared this story, Christina, but come at it from a place of deep knowing. The voicing of the scary stuff doesn't have the potential to bring it into being, and yet... It can be so so hard to open up for fear of what releasing those words might do...
I am also delighted you're doing MM with Michael (and Hollie?) next month. You will absolutely LOVE it, even if online. I was in touch with him this morning because I'd missed the delight of Cold Turkey from being up there and it looked LUSH. Did you go? X
Oh lovely! And hooray to past you, too. I'm not always great at forward-planning in the good times but completely agree with you that it's the way to go.
That was my first residential course there, but I did a Moniack in a Month in Zoom back in COVID times with Kerry Hudson as tutor and Blake Morrison as the guest reader. Loved it, and got so much out of that even though it was online.
It sounds like a big year of changes, adjustments, and new plans, too ✨ A big year deserves a restful break, so I hope you get to end the year doing what you love most, and I can’t wait to continue reading your beautiful words in the new year ☺️
I am so sorry to hear you went through such pain and fear Christina, that makes me sad. But I am so glad this year has turned a corner and you’ve been relatively pain-free. Gosh don’t we take our bodies for granted until that moment when they stop working. Then all we can do is marvel at the intricacies of our biology and hope. I love the sound of more words, here’s to investing in ourselves and our craft! Onto 2024, May it be a creative one, full of words and wonder 😘
Thank you for these lovely words Lynne 🧡 I’m excited to read more of your writing in 2024.
Holy Moly what a year! Would have had no idea this was going on in the background.
Thank you for sharing your story Christina. Stories like this need to be told. There is so much of value in your heroine's journey for so many different people.
I wrote this week about how I have the word "Trust" written on a piece of paper on my desk at the moment. It sits beside a vase of fresh flowers and a wooden love heart. Every time I look at it I remember to let go of the clenching and fear. "Learning to sit with uncertainty" is such a skill and can completely change our life. It's a skill I need to practice numerous times a day!
Thoughts and Positive energy coming your way from Wanaka. Jo x
Thanks Jo! I appreciate you saying this.
Yes, it was quite a year. And there were a few extra bits that didn’t make it in too. 🫣
One of the other reasons I held off on writing about it here was due to the resistance I felt around sharing this experience, knowing that so many other folks have been / are going through worse. But then we could apply that thinking to anything, and all stay silent forever. I know I’ve found myself reflected in other people’s stories at some of the times when I’ve needed it most.
I love your “trust” visual reminder. A wooden love heart holds very happy memories for me, so thank you for bringing those bubbling to the surface too.
Hi Christina, thankyou for sharing this journey and bravo for finding the courage to follow through.
When you told me about it on the field trip, I had never heard of it, despite having studied and having an interest in rheumatology as an osteopath.
So good to hear you are moving forwards in creatively divergent ways, with such awareness.
Having also had a rare (luckily relatively short) health “experience “ this year and teetering in the edge of getting assessed on the Autism side, I can really relate. (I had a train T-shirt thing! The Flying Scotsman, I believe, at primary school.)
And feel really inspired to get something “bloody written” on substack now, by you doing it first. Love and thanks
and looking forward to reading more of your creations xxx
Shivers of joy reading this Rachel. 🧡 Let me know when you get the thing “bloody” written (I’m hearing that in the voice of the characters from The Summer Book - M and I say it all the time since I read it). I’ll be cheering you on all the way.
And sounds like that needs to be a new question on the assessment form - as a child did you obsess over a particular, unobtainable item of clothing? 😂
Hope it goes as smoothly as these things can for you. x
P.S. I had the Flying Scotsman poster on my wall. Forgot all about that until you mentioned it.
I am sorry to hear this and I totally get the fear of writing it publicly. Your writing is brave and honest, thank you. You have made tough decisions about what is important for self care, I have no doubt this will lead to evolution in words and life. I am excited to see where your poetry takes you. Wishing you good health and creativity in 2024 xxx
Thank you Bel 🙏🏻 Wishing you the same. Excited to hear more about your new project.
Fantastic. You are so strong.
Thank you, that’s very kind. Not strong enough to get the bench press PB I was hoping for yesterday, but tomorrow is another day. 😂
Yes! There is always tomorrow, even if it is a Monday.
As Lynne says, we don't know how precious our health is until it's swiped away, and it's never quite in the way you may have feared, either. I am so glad you have shared this story, Christina, but come at it from a place of deep knowing. The voicing of the scary stuff doesn't have the potential to bring it into being, and yet... It can be so so hard to open up for fear of what releasing those words might do...
I am also delighted you're doing MM with Michael (and Hollie?) next month. You will absolutely LOVE it, even if online. I was in touch with him this morning because I'd missed the delight of Cold Turkey from being up there and it looked LUSH. Did you go? X
Thank you for the kind, thoughtful words Lindsay. I must have missed the memo on Cold Turkey - it sounds intriguing. Next time perhaps!
And yes, that’s the one. Hollie is the guest reader.
I’m very grateful to past me for taking the plunge so I’d have something lovely to look forward to in January.
Was this your first time at MM or have you been before? A retreat there is on my one day list.
Oh lovely! And hooray to past you, too. I'm not always great at forward-planning in the good times but completely agree with you that it's the way to go.
That was my first residential course there, but I did a Moniack in a Month in Zoom back in COVID times with Kerry Hudson as tutor and Blake Morrison as the guest reader. Loved it, and got so much out of that even though it was online.
It sounds like a big year of changes, adjustments, and new plans, too ✨ A big year deserves a restful break, so I hope you get to end the year doing what you love most, and I can’t wait to continue reading your beautiful words in the new year ☺️
Thank you Luisa 🧡 “Motion is lotion” I keep reminding myself.