I am in a season of creating space. Creating space for myself, creating space to play, and creating space to show up as my authentic self.
In my life, this looks like being intentional about having time alone; this looks like going swing dancing, playing volleyball, singing karaoke, reading, and writing; this looks like expressing my needs to people around me, even when it is scary or I am afraid how others will respond; this looks like sitting with myself and being honest with where I am. This means no more sugar coating or avoiding my flaws, but befriending and growing through them.
An image that has resonated with me all year is that of a flower blossoming. When I went to New York earlier this year, I found myself taking more photos of flowers around the city than the iconic city light and sights. (If you know me, this is very fitting). As I reflect on my life, I realize this is a good metaphor and captures some of my own growth in the past few months. I found myself falling in love with the blooms that appeared in the most unexpected of places. There is a beautiful lesson here. Despite what is going on around us, despite the concrete, the noise, or the voices of others, we can carve out space to bloom and spread our pedals wide. We can create space to show our beautiful colors. Who knows who is walking by and soaking in your magnificence?
I love the metaphor of the flowers too! I want to think about myself blossoming where I am, but given my circumstances it's kind of hard. There are plenty of people who want to help me grow, but at times I don't feel like it's enough.