There’s a line in the book ‘Beloved’ where the character Amy, while speaking with Sethe, says, “It’s going to hurt now. Anything dead coming back to life hurts.” I came across this line before reading, or fully knowing the story of Beloved, and even still it made sense. Though I couldn’t describe the sense it made in words, I felt it. For me, growth has often meant the returning to, or the regeneration of an old thing, rather than the coming to being of a new thing. But, in many ways, returning and becoming is, or feels to be one, and the same.
I recalled this quote again a few weeks ago, I think it came to mind to offer me comfort, came to mind as a reminder that despite its discomforts, growth is a remarkable event, a miraculous feit, a brilliant happening. However, given its discomforts, this perspective is often hard to hold, because growth does often, and also hurt.
Per usual, I take to the page for soothing. On this particular day, these were the words that poured. For those who might be in need, I hope the words offer both comfort, and encouragement (and maybe even ease).
“to myself, and others, creating and regenerating, both in life and art…
please, be welcoming to the messiness of the process, the imperfections, confusion, disruptions, doubts, hesitations, breaks, starts, pauses, and stops.
you are adjusting. and the ‘—ing’ in anything — living, growing, becoming, learning, loving, healing, building, unraveling, unfolding — speaks to the process that is required, and a part of the doing.
it means that something is, has, or will be happening.
you. are happening.” — ẹniafẹ isis
Image/Artist: Danielle McKinney, “Shelter”, 2023, Oil on Canvas
Such a digestible way of thinking. I am glad to know that things are happening! 🙏🏾♥️