Deeper Than Community

Deeper than Community:

is it possible for me to hold your sadness too, carrying the weight of both our sorrows, even for the briefest time? I don't know, especially now in doubt of my own strength, feeling so lost within an unimaginable grief, and wishing mostly to be alone. But we are part of something, all of us, deeper than community, a common life shared through individual expressions, yet always, most truly, belonging together as the whole. 

we are never really alone,

 and what I believe is that I'm never asked to carry another's sorrow, it's enough to be present to my own grief, tending to my wounds now, free of any expectations as to how this should appear and the length of time to grieve. This is what I give myself, this gift of being present to my needs, of allowing just this, whatever's brought to notice, to simply be here, and not rushed to be denied or even healed. Just allowed, acknowledged in its presence, nothing more. 

it's with this recognition that we discover something deeper than community, that healing is a single entity existing within a network of our together. It's ours. Tending to my own sorrows brings light to yours, acknowledging my burden lessens a common weight held between us both. We don't heal separately, deeper than community, it all takes place at once, my sadness yours, one grief, and whatever your sorrow is mine as well. 

with this we are never asked to hold another's sadness, to ease anyone's sorrow but our own - it's not possible for me to carry the weight of your grief, but I recognize its burden, and with this I know that it belongs to me as well, that we carry a single weight, collective, and that my true healing is in this recognition. It's not selfish to wish this time to be alone, focusing on wounds so long ignored, no, this is still something shared between us, quietly now, tender and intimate in a way that doesn't need anything but acknowledging this deeper community. 

~

Peace, Eric