One of my new favorite books is Sue Monk Kidd’s The Dance of the Dissident Daughter. (She wrote The Secret Life of Bees.)
So many beautiful thoughts in this book, but this one jumped right out at me:
“There had been so many things I hadn’t allowed myself to see, because if I fully woke to the truth, then what would I do? How would I be able to reconcile myself to it? The truth may set you free, but first it will shatter the safe, sweet way you live.”
It captures the secret life of daughters living within the patriarchy (which is the essence of her book).
And she speaks about how transformation leads to a descent…
“Descent is not about finding light but about going into the darkness and befriending it. If we remain there long enough, it takes on its own luminosity. It will reveal everything to us.”
It’s such a breath of fresh air to read another woman’s memoir on something I’ve experienced. You cannot heal the pain within yourself until there is a dark night of the soul. It’s part of the healing process (whether it happens individually or collectively).
I find that when I am descending into the muck it is best to increase self-care and pleasure on a daily basis. DAILY. (Then I can better hear my intuition & my soul.)
Now is a time to nurture the seeds within and not worry about when the bloom will happen.
What are you doing to take care of yourself today?
Wishing you growth however it takes shape even if it’s only a seed.