“Spiritually holding our breath”...

Whatever truth we feel compelled to withhold

No matter how unthinkable it is

to imagine ourselves telling it

Not to is a way of spiritually holding our breath

You can only do it for so long

— Mark Nepo (Ph.D/professor of English at State University of New York for 18 years. Nepo is also a poet, spiritual advisor and author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Book of Awakening. Nepo has published 12 books and recorded six audio projects. He speaks from his personal awakening, facing down cancer). 

My own family comes to mind. My parents screamed and yelled, rather than expressing their truths. Looking back on it, I can see that they were both deeply unhappy in the marriage. They married extremely young, as so many couples did back in those days. My father was angry and my mother was depressed. Their unhappiness erupted often, but didn’t lead to much resolution unfortunately. I just don’t think most of us come to the table with helpful communication/relationship skills. We don’t tend to know how to express our feelings and we don’t necessarily know how to ask for what we need and want. So much sits unsaid in relationships, unless we’re willing to learn how to speak openly with one another. I’m still learning how to do this. It’s certainly a process if you haven’t seen some of these skills modelled in earlier life. Just sayin’ :) Hugs. XO

Blessings,

Chatgirl