2024 is nearing a close, and so is my word for the year, experiment. In the last month, I have looked at time. Creating time. Making time. Spending time.
In October, I created time by… waking up early. A morning person, I love the quiet before the world wakens. My partner has been chanting and praying more in the morning, too. Seasonal affect will not get me down! I’ve also strived to create time by letting a lot go, such as delegating tasks and asking for help. (Grad school is hard, y’all.)
What is worth my energy?
That question leads to making time: Time with dogs. Volunteering time (hello, film fest!). Creating and making music, like learning how to play the guitar. Making time to learn more about my whys of public scholarship and memory preservation.
But ultimately, in these last 30 days, I’ve spent a lot of time… crying. There, I said it. I’m grieving over the election results. I am angry, disappointed, scared.
I’ve spent a lot of time embracing what I can change and who I can be. How can I show up for myself, my people, and my God? I don’t know what life will be like in the next 4 years. It’s a terrifying truth.
What is worth my time is being here, right now. Showing up anyway. I’m going to be making change. Using my skills, feelings, and experiences to shape what’s next. Maybe that’s a lifelong experiment. But I will not let fear and resentment lead the way. Love leads the way, here.