Skip to main content

I Am Not Alone.

                                        I Am Not Alone. 



                                                                Photo by Saffu on Unsplash


If we are anything alike, then you most likely value solitude. And there is nothing wrong with that. However, there are lessons that we need to learn alone and those we need to learn through community. 



Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash



I am finally brave enough to embrace a lesson that the Universe has been trying to teach me for some time now. Whenever I go through hard times, my first instinct is to isolate myself. I have been afraid to let others in (with good reason of course). I was afraid to ask for help or reach out. 




Recently I came to realize that I am not alone and every dry spell, drought, or wilderness I had to walk through, there was always someone walking me home. I was not alone when I was rendered homeless twice. I was not alone when I had to move out. Neither was I alone when I moved from apartment 12 to apartment 4, and even with my recent diagnosis of COVID-19.

Although it might have been lonely and awfully quiet and the people I wanted there were not but I was not alone. I was right where I was supposed to be. The people who were meant to be there, were there. The right people were by my side waiting to envelop me with kind words and love. Embracing those truths has helped to heal a lot of my wounds.

                                                        Photo by Mike Labrum on Unsplash




We may not want to admit it but community is important to us all. Shared experiences and pain run deep and through humanity's bloodline. Sharing our trauma and stories if anything connects us. Although I am still learning that it is okay to let your community walk with you through hard times, I am grateful. 


Photo by Jay Castor on Unsplash

In what ways does your tribe or circle uphold and surround you? Feel free to comment below. 

Thank you for always showing up. 


Inhale: 
I am not alone.

Exhale:
I am grateful for my tribe.

Inhale: 
I do not have to hurt alone

Exhale:
I belong to a community that embraces all of me.

Inhale:
I know when to walk alone

Exhale:
I know when to reach out


P. S: if this piece resonated with you feel free to check out  Alex Elle and Jamila Reddy on the Ritual App. 
Labels:

Comments

  1. NovieFebruary 2, 2022 at 2:26 PM

    It is OK to let your community walk with you love. Be cognizant of the energy you allow in, but not every energy is bad energy. Choose wisely and learn when to allow your hands to be held. I love you. Always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anella M'Press ShillingfordFebruary 3, 2022 at 4:50 PM

      I love you, too, my love.

      That's why we have to pray for discernment.

      ♥️♥️

      Delete
  2. Bernice Registe-MaronieFebruary 2, 2022 at 4:34 PM

    Community is indeed important, and they don't have to be present physically. Just the thought that they are availble is enough sometimes.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anella M'Press ShillingfordFebruary 3, 2022 at 4:50 PM

      That is very true.

      Thank you for showing up. Love and light to you.

      Delete
  3. UnknownFebruary 3, 2022 at 8:41 PM

    Walking along that journey ❤🇩🇲

    ReplyDelete
  4. LisaFebruary 4, 2022 at 9:41 AM

    Thank YOU for showing up. For continuing to write in the good and bad times and for sharing your lessons with us.
    Community is important in helping us navigate through life and I am thankful for my tribe ❤️

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Are Moving!

Thank you.  This blog has served as a safe space; connecting me to readers all over the world for us since 2019. For that I am truly grateful.  I was first encouraged to start this blog by a friend who felt that that I had a lot to say. (It turned out she was right. Thank you, Lisa. ) This space has helped me to find my voice and my niche. It has been a blessing to witness to my evolution on here as well as learning the cathartic power of community.  It has been quite the journey. Thank you for walking with me. You have seen me through good times and hard times. You have witnessed the publication of two poetry collections. You have read about my heartbreaks, my life's work, my struggles and much more.  I am moving to Substack and I would love if you would come along.  If you wish to continue this journey with me, please use the link below.    Anella's Bits and Pieces Don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you can be the first to read future posts....
Post a Comment
Read more

It Is Okay To Rest.

 Rest  Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash I recently rang a relative to wish her happy birthday and asked her what she planned to do for the day. She candidly replied, "Work. We are a hard-working family, remember?"  She was telling the truth. I grew up watching my family till the soil with their bare hands, after all "by the sweat our brow" we had to eat. There is nothing wrong with working hard to provide for yourself and others but at what cost? I decided a long time ago that would not be my narrative.  Balance  Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash  I know what it means to work yourself to the ground. I know what it means to grind and hustle. I know what it means to get caught up in the horrors and toxicity of capitalism. I had to watch my mother do it and, for a while, I inherited that culture.  But there is nothing wrong with laying it down and walking away to redefine productivity.  I know what it means to work myself to exhaustion but, I...
14 comments
Read more

The Reasons Behind "Bonfire"

Several of my readers have been asking about my recently published collection of poetry "Bonfire". The story is quite fascinating, if I do say so myself. Had someone told me a few years ago I would have been published at age 26, I would not have believed them. Don't get me wrong, I have always considered myself to be a writer. But it was never a priority; I wrote only when I felt like it.  My most accomplished piece of writing would most definitely be my manuscript for my first novel. But it has yet to be published. The reason for this is because I was turned down by several publishers and I let that deter me. When I finally found a publisher, I was also asked to change the plot of my story because it was too controversial. I considered self-publishing but I was afraid of how it might be received.  I felt defeated and I felt like quitting on the novel altogether. But that was when "Bonfire" came to me like a candle in a dark room. The poems cam...
4 comments
Read more