Furiously Happy (?)

Last Tuesday I reached over to my stack of library books and grudgingly pulled out “Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson. I say grudgingly because I’d just finished a wonderful story about dark faeries, spelled princes, and crazy magic and was not excited about the idea of leaving the realm of magical fiction behind to instead root through a person’s real life story with mental illness. I can honestly say that within one minute of reading I had completely changed my tune.

This book is fantastic. Seriously. It is one of the best, most hilarious, and incredibly entertaining; laugh out loud books I have read in possibly my entire life. I started chuckling on page 1, almost killed myself choking on an apple at page 27, and giggled furiously (yes I’m stealing that word) for close to 15 minutes straight the night after. But interspersed with the humor is Lawson describing her lifelong struggle with depression, anxiety; sleep disorders, etc…in a refreshingly real way. She freely and openly shares emotions and experiences that so many thousands feel the need to hide because our society tells us we should be ashamed of them. 

I have so much respect and admiration for people like Lawson; individuals who buck the idea and expectation to be 'normal' and instead embrace who they are, the good, the bad and the crazy - the fun parts and dark moments both. Social media bombards us daily with images, ideas and 140 character messages of people's perfect, happy lives. We're tricked into believing that life is always amazing for everyone, except us, but that is just a ridiculous lie. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that probably 99.99% of the world's population have at least days, if not weeks or months, and sometimes entire years of unhappiness. But they hold it in, living with a painful belief that only they are failing at that this thing call life. If more of us not only embraced those moments, but were also brave enough to shout them out to the world, there might not be so many people feeling isolated and alone. I haven’t been diagnosed with any of the disorders Lawson mentions in her book but I have had my own mental health battle. I’ve been fairly upfront about that fight but it has been many months since I’ve shared anything of substance though, so here goes…

I would say that at least once day I feel like a failure. I listen to my own Mr. Hyde-like voice telling me I’m a mess at my job, I have no established career, I can’t clean my house properly, I’m a disaster at lawn care, I suck at writing, I watch too much TV, I haven’t baked a dessert for work in a month so I’m totally dropping the ball, I told Steph I’d like to make frozen dinners for her family months ago and have cooked one so I’m a bad friend, I never seem to be able to save money so I’m an irresponsible adult…I could go on for pages. The Dr. Jekyll side of me knows that not all of those things are necessarily true (although the lawn care definitely is) but it’s so easy to disregard that whisper and instead fall in line with the negative yells. I also have that other voice in my head; the one who tells me I’m too fat, that I’ve eaten too much, that I only worked out for an hour – not three – so that’s an entire day wasted. It’s exhausting.  

In truth, I'm not particularly in love with life right now; I haven't been for a few months. That’s not to say I’ve been wrapped inside a constant state of unhappiness; I can easily find contentment while sitting in my little home library, or delving into a craft project, attacking a steep mountain trail, or wandering through the dark shelves of Barnes&Noble for an hour, or two...ok maybe three. Faelina remains my ever shining star and has me laughing daily as observe her zany obsessions and delighted obstinacy in rule breaking (we have daily discussions about the kitchen counters being off limits, I say they are (off limits that is), she disagrees).

Part of my downward emotions are probably due to the fact that, since January, I’ve been back in therapy. There was no major crash that brought that about, finding a therapist was something I should have done as soon as I reached Utah, but I was just so tired of dealing with everything so decided to attempt managing everything on my own. In some ways I did ok, in others I definitely failed; by January though I was started to lean towards bad habits and decisions with frightening frequency so it’s good I started back up when I did. Of course there is a pretty big difference in living a delicate balance with an eating disorder and actively trying to eliminate it. The second part is harder, it sucks, and it means that many days you go to bed feeling miserable.

That isn’t all of it though, there is just something is missing. I have been rifling through my life and mind trying to figure out just what that something is but apparently elusivity (this may not be an actual word but I don’t care, I’m still using it) is it’s middle name because so far I’ve got nothing. It’s a quest I won’t give up on though; happiness is too important to give up on, so I’ll keep searching. I’ll share things as I discover them – good, bad and ugly. I’m also going to start being a little more forthcoming with some of the quirkier, weirder aspects of myself because they bring me joy and delight and a little bit closer to becoming furiously happy.

p.s. If you do anything today, go to the store and buy that book. If you don’t laugh at least once I will refund your money. If you still don't want to spend money go the library, books are free there.

 

 

 

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It Can't Happen Here

This past weekend I read the final words of Sinclair Lewis' 'It Can't Happen Here', a "cautionary

tale" about a new president establishing a dictatorship in order to save the country from an all-consuming crisis. The book was published 1935, yet certain passages have me all but convinced that Lewis discovered the secret to time travel and witnessed the 2016 presidential election. I suffered a whirlwind of emotions throughout it: apprehension, incredulity, resigned amusement, a flutter of fear, and doubting disbelief - Yes, the election played out in the book, could have been the prophecy of last years, but there's no way what happened after could really happen now - could it?'. '

I'd like to think that with the advances in technology and social media today the country's safe, that I'm just experiencing a moment of paranoid fear, but honestly who knows. I freely admit that I trust this current president about as much as I would a President Lord Voldemort (should he ever run, win, and - you know - be real). I despise Trump and am disgusted with the direction he has taken the country. I wouldn't put it past him to go after a dictatorship if he sees an opening to do so, and with the absurd amount of supporters who continue to follow him (a fact that makes me downright ashamed), he just might.

I recommend this book not because it will bring one enjoyment and happiness, but because it makes one truly ponder the importance of the principles this country was built upon. Obviously, I may - ok do - have some very strong, biased opinions about this government. Those who share those same political ideologies would likely have family similar thoughts were they to read this book, and I would love to discuss it with them (this would make for an excellent reading club choice). I'd also be interested though in hearing the opinions and insight of those who do not ascribe to those same beliefs, because as much as I try to understand where they're coming from I just can't. But maybe by continuing to talk differences through (and I will concede that the harshness dialogue in my previous paragraph is perhaps not the most conducive to such discussions) we can someday breach the ever expanding differences between us and really work together to improve this country. I hope so, because if not, then someday, we might wake up to find that it did happen here.

The Bear and The Nightingale

Last night, I closed the cover of the beautifully, enchanting book The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. It was a tale that dove back into the olden days of Russia; and was full of the magic that floated softly through the times’ frozen forests and flared above the warm fires in those ancient homes.

It is the story of Vasilisa,  a young girl who lives with her family weeks away from any major city. For decades, her small village has lived a peaceful existence inside the rules of the church, all the while never forgetting the spirits, rituals, and customs of their ancestors. But as Vasilisa grows, a devout stepmother and young priest, challenge the balance of that life, and threaten the future of them all. Vasilisa realizes that she must break with the will of those surrounding her and trust in her own strength, if she is to save her world and the people she loves most.

Certain aspects of it reminded me unmistakably of Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child, one of my most beloved, favorite books. Both stories existed in an age now forever gone, both were worlds of frozen snow lit beauty, and both brought to life a young girl full of fierce fire and magic. Just as with The Snow Child, I’d hoped this book would never end.

If your reading preferences center around books firmly set in the realities of daily life then this probably isn’t the tale for you. If however, you love to get lost inside a story that makes you believe true magic is possible, seek out a copy as soon as possible, and enjoy.  

 

 

 

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Sparklets and Florilegia

For the past six months or so, I have been an eager listener of the podcast 'Harry Potter and the Sacred Text'. Each new show focuses on a specific chapter and analyzes what takes place through the lens of a pre-determined theme (i.e. mercy, fear, thankfulness, regret etc...). The two hosts also apply a Spiritual Practice to certain sections of that chapter for deeper analysis. For those of you who have loved the Harry Potter books I highly recommend listening; and for those of you who haven't read the books, stop reading this immediately and go get them!

One of the Spiritual Practices is - Florilegia. An edited definition from their website is "a compilation of excerpts from other writings". In the podcast, the two hosts will pick the sentences or phrases that jumped out and spoke to them in that particular chapter; they then string them together to see what new meaning(s) they are able to discover. They call the lines they've chosen 'sparklets'.

I love this idea. As far back as I can remember, I've written down quotes from books, songs, movies...anything that struck me as profound, or beautiful, or something I could completely relate to. I've occasionally even shared those beloved favorites on this blog. So I decided to practice Floriglegia myself. However, instead of honing in on just one book or chapter, I've chosen words from any book, song, poem, thought, conversation, etc....that 'sparkled' in my mind. I began this quest last Sunday and finished Saturday night. Here are all my sparklets in the order they came to me.


What you really want at the end is a surprising inevitability. What you really want is the characters to be changed at the end. As long as hate dwells in the human heart, real peace is impossible. You will become your favorite color. Complacency is lethal. It is the wrong time to be thinking of you; it's the wrong place to be cheating on you. What makes city life meaningful is what you hide. What our heart intends and what our words intend. Was I born wild, have I been asleep this whole damn time. Life, too, slipped by in much the same way, speeding up as it ran along the tracks laid out by time and fortune. It's not a mistake it's just a layer. How difficult it was to tell the truth and be sincere at the same time. All behavioral has a communication. Your body keeps score of all that happened. Just be free. Little by little that fiery glow, the light to take ones breath, had faded. He had seen when her soul lit her face like firelight. The story's always talking, you just gotta listen.


I'm still working on unearthing a deep meaning from them, but I did instantly spot an underlying theme running through most of my sparklets (with a few outliers thrown in). I'll tie what I see into another post that I'm working on, but in the meantime I'm open to others interpretations. I know the same thing is interpreted differently by different people, and sometimes people on the outside of a story are able to see things those on the inside can't. So anyone, everyone, out there - thoughts, ideas...

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Hi Mom

Hi Mom,

Happy Mother’s Day! I wish I could be there to celebrate you in person, but I hope at least that you are enjoying a day of peace and light. I hope you had a fabulous breakfast, partook in lots of flower shopping, and got to hold each of your grandsons. I hope that you feel loved and special, because you are.

 

Not long ago, I was given a writing challenge which asked me to share five blessings in my life. I tried to forgo the obvious (family, friends, Faelina, etc.…) and pick a few of the slightly more subtle gifts instead. The first thing I thought of was “My mother’s wild spirit”. I wrote that you were brave and had sought to a life full of adventure, refusing to live by any other’s wishes.

 

I’m sure that marriage and motherhood calmed you somewhat, but I think your wild essence remained. Growing up you shared that sprit with us girls, through mushing and road trips and a refusal to keep your beliefs and opinions quiet. Without those lessons I might not have had the courage to seek out my own dreams, realize my own freedom.

 

I hope that one day I will be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with you in person again. Until then though never forget you were wild once, don’t let them tame you.

 

I love you forever,

KC

Dreams of Far Off Places

I've lived a rather light hearted mood today, partly as I keep getting lost in daydreams about far off lands. A writing challenge I did not too long ago, asked me to list the 5 places I wanted most wanted to visit. The answers came quickly, though of course I couldn't just pick places firmly here on earth, my imagination just wouldn't allow for it. So I have a list for unreality too!

Reality

1.) Ireland - green, magical, ancient

2.) Iceland - Wild. A place where nature always rules

3.) Antarctica - cold, dry, full of winter, empty

4.) Venice - A city without streets, a vibrant taste of olden times

5.) Greece - is the water truly that blue? are the buildings really such a perfect white?

 

Dreamland

 

 

1.) Hogwarts - I think that this is my favorite of all places that will ever, could ever exist
2.) Waterfall City - in Dinotopia, this place just sounds too beautiful to pass up!
3.) Rivendell - All of Middle Earth really, but Rivendell seems the most lovely
4.) The 9 Kingdoms - I live there, happily, forever after
5.) Belle's Library - my dream home!

Those are my places, what would yours be?

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Wild Calls

Driving home from work just now, I was working through some serious thoughts. This was the only way to release them.

Stagnation forever drowns the soul

the breath of wild breaks it free

A lone wolf cries to the moon

beckoning Winters' child.

It's up to you to answer that call.

Ignore it and your heart will bleed.

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