I don't know if I mention it enough, but you folks inspire the heck out of me.
I've been in limbo for quite some time, & I know that if I have to make a change it'll mean giving up writing completely--which is why I'm okay treading water for now, finishing one last novel, & trying to make a difference while waiting out *gestures at whatever the end of the world is calling itself now*.
But if I have to rebuild from scratch, again? You've all been amazing examples. Thank you for your humanity. 💙
@MLClark It is in the depths of deepest darkness that people come together and celebrate the light that shines within us all. It is such a glorious thing and a touchstone, a good reminder in the hard times, amidst all the war and strife, that the darkest of days only give rise to the return of the light, and portent to the hope of spring.
@MLClark It’s within the crucibles of our challenges that the diamonds of our character are forged. Some of the people I’ve seen that have been through the worst most unimaginable things have often been the most kind.
@NiveusLepus
Here we have plenty of spring (Medellín is a "city of eternal spring"), but that absolutely holds in the figurative sense! Everyone in Medellín has a family story from the bad times. The collective nature of trauma creates its own resilience, though; people leaned into family in tougher years, when the highways were essentially cut off by guerrillas, and even other barrios weren't always safe--and that shaped a culture of gratitude for the little things.
So much to learn from. :)