How are we Holding us?

Holding All Of Us… See what I did there…

Each one of us has ALL of our SELVES to hold: the task master, the scared kid, the fierce defender, the silver lining scout, the worst case scenario alarmist, the rebel, the harsh overlord, the kiss-up, the lazy bones, the head-in-the-clouds, the head-in-the-sand, the fault finder, the personal cheerleader. (ok, maybe you don’t have ALL of these, but surely a few). AND we get to hold the whole package of these parts synthesized. Sometimes they battle or take turns, but they all need respect and space. When we push down or deny the needs they speak up for, they come back stronger in less helpful ways. How do we hold all of ourselves well?

AND whether we want to or not, we are each holding ALL OF US. We may be overwhelmed or resentful or dismissive about this, but we are all impacted by one another. In these times we are also uncomfortably aware of the whole mess of us humans, embroiled in many messes out in this world. How do we navigate all these connections and impacts? How do we each choose the ways we want to interact—-how we create and nurture friendships, family, chosen family, community and wider networks. How do we each recognize, ask for and get the supports we need? How do we each give back, support and hold all of us well? How do we do it together? What does that look like?