Hi, friends–I hope you’re pushing through finals and basking in sunlight every chance you get. Burnout is too real, but so is the end of my undergrad career. I promise this’ll be the last heartbreak-related post. It’s very timely and spring-appropriate. Have a look 🙂
Today I went to another one of my old stomping grounds, a cafe I used to frequent with someone who’s not in my life anymore. I thought I’d be nervous, like I was the first time I went back to a similarly familiar place a few weeks ago. This time though, the nerves weren’t really there and it was an unexpected healing experience.
I was meeting a beautiful friend whose company is always a gift–and while the first few minutes were spent explaining to her how I knew of the place (and so, remembering), it was freeing. Seriously, y’all. It was the equivalent of the relief you feel when relaxing your grip on something you’ve been holding onto so tightly. We had meaningful conversation, took pretty pictures, shared a rose cardamom latte, and walked the grounds while it was sprinkling–all experiences that were new and meaningful and not stuck in the past. It was healing and empowering, like a reclaiming of space from grief and from the exclusivity of having only one experience to remember.
Reflecting on this is so encouraging for me–it feels like letting things be, rather than grieving my way towards an unknown time when I would be able to let them go. The distinction between the two is important. Maybe time from now I’ll realize that this is actually my letting things go. For now though, my experience is letting them be and moving/growing around them. It feels good and I’m grateful for it, as it showed me the power and freedom that lies in picking up life’s woes and setting them aside to make space for new life (I know, what a #ridiculouslyprofound visual).
Sending you lots of sunshine, iced lattes, and the strength to push through whatever needs pushing through. It’s almost the weekend and my lil nugget of a nephew’s baby shower 🎉
The Ruminating Wanderer 