Hello wonderful human,
I hope you can find some moments to Pause, Breathe and Listen inside before a new week resumes. There are always more nuggets I want to share with you than time allows. If you follow me on social media, hopefully you’ve seen images and videos from snowy mountain magic that nourishes my spirit every time. One has to work for the wonder, but it’s worth it. I’ll try and share some of the beauty with you in our next mailing. Nature is my sanctuary.
In today’s Pause, we acknowledge the end of our first month of the new year. Already. How is the new year going for you and your parts? So far this month has been rewardingly full, AND I’m looking forward to a calmer February.
Below I’m raising my favorite pottery mug (that Erik gave me for my first therapy job 24 years ago) to celebrate new consultation groups which began last week and continue this upcoming week–the last Set offered before Fall. It’s a joy and an honor to connect IFS Clinicians from all over the world in their journeys towards proficiency and Self leadership. There are still seats available in this Set, so scroll down for details if this applies to you!
The second photo reveals a special new year’s gift from an important source of companionship and encouragement throughout my career.
For January:
an incantation for
a perfection of days:
oh, that I see clearly
the life in & around
me & remember this
is the first & last time
for each moment of it.
@flying edna (kai & fia skye)
Art, music and books are always more meaningful when I get to meet the human behind the craft. I had the serendipitous chance to meet one of my favorite, longest-treasured artists a few months ago. I was introduced to Brian Andreas and his Story People collection of colorful figures and poignant poems by my very first client in my very first job after graduating with my Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in Syracuse, NY, in 1999.
I’ll never forget this very first client. We shared a lot in common and were close in age. She was one of those clients where if she weren’t my client we would want to be fast friends. I wanted so much to help her and worried I didn’t have enough experience to do so. We had been “randomly” paired by the office scheduler and I was her last hope for therapy after several unsuccessful therapy attempts throughout the previous, very dark and depressing decade. Our pairing was divinely inspired, as we ended up working together for several years until I moved to Washington, Her courage, tenacity and gradual healing forever impacted me. She’s thriving now and our therapeutic journey is one I’ll never forget.
The Story People card she gave me back in 1999 (that I still refer to often) reads:
If you hold on to the handle, she said, it’s easier to maintain the illusion of control.
But it’s more fun if you just let the wind carry you.
Brian’s pen name is Kai Skye. He and his lovely partner, Fia, continue to create colorful prayers on paper and wood. Here is my rare visit with these two precious humans and their handsome pup on Cape Cod last Fall. I left their home with a full heart, clutching their latest collection, “Songs of Starlight” and the whimsically deep 2023 calendar I waited months to enjoy.
If you don’t know their work, I hope you’ll check it out at FlyingEdna.com or @brianandreas. I don’t think he’s ever created something that doesn’t resonate with me or that I’d hang on my wall if I had acres of wall space!
And on the professional end of things, waiting my shy, insecure and uncertain parts out the past year allowed them to soften enough for me to finally share some video clips of me during my consult groups and the two meditations I led for the free drop in groups.
It’s scary and vulnerable to do this. My parts fear judgment and criticism. And, at some point I just have to close my eyes and press POST or putting myself out there in this way will never happen. We have to start somewhere.
I keep reassuring my parts we’ll be ok even if the videos aren’t “perfect”, even if I say, “um” too many times and even if not every person who views them is not a fan. We’ll be ok and hey, perhaps taking this risk will help someone. Let me know if sharing these is helpful for you in any way. Thanks, always, for your presence and input.
Attendees from our enthusiastic Drop-in groups requested the meditation, so I nudged my sheepish parts to make these available to you. You’re welcome to close your eyes and just listen, says a part… 🙂 I hope they’re helpful in some way as you befriend parts and access a little more Self energy before sessions.
