Being Human: Beautiful and Ominous

A SOULSPACE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

I took this photo from the ferry on a grey day. The beautiful, ominous sky over Puget Sound caught my attention. What does this image stir in you?

I’ll borrow the adjectives I used for the photo above to describe the themes in this collection—the beautiful, ominous invitation of being human. Coming home to our bodies is about recognizing we are complex beings whose present-tense needs are worthy of time and care. These needs are not distractions, but rather, portals to our deepest wisdom.

Together, I think this collection asks:

How do we name and attend to our own needs, story, and pain honestly without crumbling?
How do we love ourselves and other people at the same time?
How do we accompany each other along the way?

Here are some lyrical highlights from the collection:

You are not too much,
You are not underwhelming,
You are not a number or a contestant for my love.
You are not your past,
You are not a victim.
You are not what you were told
You are not who you were back then.

From the Christa Wells & Phillip LaRue song, “Pacific”

The things you said are hanging in the middle of my mind tonight, I can’t turn ‘em off. I try to worry for my soul, but I forget to all the time. I’m in a twisted web and I can’t pull my head from it. I think about you walking on a string and it always takes me back to the garden.

From the Matt Berninger & Phoebe Bridgers song, “Walking on a String”

The only way I know to live this life is incrementally, just like Christa describes in the song below. Sometimes when I’m in a difficult season, I find a song like this and it becomes a friend.

You're doing one day, one breath, one prayer
One thing at a time
One word, one step, one hope
In a coming light
Don't try to swallow the ocean
Keep doing one day
'Til one day you're free

From the Christa Wells’ song, “One Day”

When I heard this song, I was sure DiFranco was drawing lyrically from an activist Valarie Kaur’s book, See No Stranger: A Memoir & Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. She was indeed. Read about it here in this short NPR article. You can also listen to song on YouTube.

I will tend my anger
I will tend my grief
I will achieve safety
I will find relief
I'll show myself mercy
I'll show my self respect
I'll decide when i'm ready
To forgive but not forget
I will ask you questions
I will try to understand
And if you give me your story
I will hold it in my hands

I will bring the love, the revolutionary love.

And even if you hurt me
I will not shut down
No, you can't make me hate you
And carry that hate around
I will see no stranger
Only parts of myself, I don't yet know
I'll see right through evil
To a wound, too scared to show
I have the power to stay open
I have the power to be
The one that i've been waiting for
The one who sets me free

From Ani DiFranco’s song, “Revolutionary Love”