Beautiful reader,
I've been foraging for peace in the fire, and finding molecules of sanity within the flames.
I don't know if you feel this too, darling reader; the endless subliminal messaging to conform to a standard that doesn't exist. As Lauryn Hill helpfully pointed out, we are our own standard.
I look around me and I see revenants. We have all survived several wars that have claimed many of our loved ones, and claiming many more still as I write this sentence.
This is not an invitation to despair; it is a modest reminder to all of us to not get derailed by the heavy-duty heartache playing out like a psychodrama-on-steroids in every public and private sphere on this planet.
These are small mental notes — anchorings — that have helped me feel homed in my head and body;
1) Drink as much water as possible.
2) Don't deny yourself rest.
3) Rinse and repeat.
I hope you feel seen and loved in this lifetime. I hope the universe opens itself up to you and bestows you with more beauty than you can handle. I hope you learn to relish the fact that you are alive and cognizant at this exact moment.
With love,
Diriye
DIRIYE OSMAN'S new book, The Butterfly Jungle, is out now and can be ordered via these global retailers: https://bit.ly/3L9SLR4
Song of the moment: 'God Body' by LUCKY DAYE (feat. SMINO).