Michael - that sentence you picked out - it was like I was witnessing the pen write it as it came up from inside me, and then through me. It was one of those magical moments when there was no brain function or thinking involved.
Thank you again for your contribution to me over the past year. I'm deeply grateful.
Jack - thank you so much for taking the time to offer back your thoughts. I truly appreciate them. And....to think we both published a piece in the same week!
I'm sorry about your physical setbacks but in true Jack form, you're befriending them, learning from them, and using them to teach us :)
"What did I do when my heart decided it was time to move from here to there? How did I handle the pain? The discomfort? The disorientation?"
Wow, really beautiful James. You do an incredible job of capturing the vulnerability and uncertainty in those "in between" phases of life—after we take the leap, before we land. It's something I've felt before but never seen expressed so well. Thank you for sharing!
Rachel, thank you for taking the time to reply and share what you did. Yes, those times in our life between leap and landing, as you put it, are indeed vulnerable and uncertain. And as I've discovered, through not doing it very well at times - it's essential to keep your heart open.
I once heard a saying that God breaks your heart as many times as it takes in order for you to keep it open all the time. :)
WOW. James, this is such a lyrically beautiful way of showing how love – and life itself – can be a double-edged sword ... but only if we're willing taking the risks of going from "here" to "there." You illustrate that moving forward in life isn't about pain avoidance; it's ultimately about "... your heart. Give it space. A lot of space." Indeed ...
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply. Some essays take a long time to write - some less time. This was one of those that took less time to write - because I captured it immediately after our time together, but it took a lot of time to beautify - to do our reverent conversation justice.
Again - thank you for subscribing and reading. See you in Write Hearted :)
Tommy, Thank you for who you are and your contribution to making the essay as beautiful as it could be. I'm proud of it, and am glad it's out in the world now.
I loved collaborating with you and appreciate you being in the readership. :)
Beautiful and poetic James. Poetic in its ability to put into words something indescribable. I am fueled by the idea of Jessica spreading your open hearted business style and you having been forever touched by her grace.
Zoe, what a beautiful reply. Jessica will indeed spread her open heart to many others. She's so very special and I have indeed been touched by her (as have you) in many ways. :)
Thank you James for sharing this powerful moment with all of us. And thank you Jessica for allowing him to craft this beautiful essay. The wisdom and pain are applicable to so many moment in life. I'm saving this one, so I can find it when I, or someone I love, needs it.
I am struck by how much space you’ve left in your storytelling for us to be and feel with you both. I know you didn’t strategically add a description of dust particles floating in the air as a way of accomplishing this, but the flow of inspired communication here naturally produced the memory to convey the depth of field that makes me feel like I’m right there with you, seeing the whole thing, floating in the liminal space of here and there. You shared and showed the meaning of “raw calm” so beautifully James.
Rick, I'm deeply grateful for you. For so many reasons. One of which is the depth of your reading. Not only did you fashion and contribute to the essay with feedback, but you get and got the work on this one for me, which was to take what was a sacred and reverent time with Jessica, and put it into words that allowed readers to be with us in the room. As I expressed to Larry, writing the core of it didn't take as long as rewriting it over and over to express it the way it landed on you.
Indeed, the dust particles in the sun's rays were right there with us.
Last, thank you for the forum, Write Hearted, the friendship, and the collaboration that contributes to me personally and as a writer.
"I wondered if this was the first time she’d broken a heart to honor hers." Pffff. Great thought.
Next up — "The Unbearable Distance between Becky and Sharla";)?
Much love for the shout and thank you for sharing this one as I have a feeling I'll be coming back to it for years to come.
Michael - that sentence you picked out - it was like I was witnessing the pen write it as it came up from inside me, and then through me. It was one of those magical moments when there was no brain function or thinking involved.
Thank you again for your contribution to me over the past year. I'm deeply grateful.
Beautiful writing from a man whose perspective and way of being in this world I truly admire. Thank you for sharing with us, James.
Jack - thank you so much for taking the time to offer back your thoughts. I truly appreciate them. And....to think we both published a piece in the same week!
I'm sorry about your physical setbacks but in true Jack form, you're befriending them, learning from them, and using them to teach us :)
"What did I do when my heart decided it was time to move from here to there? How did I handle the pain? The discomfort? The disorientation?"
Wow, really beautiful James. You do an incredible job of capturing the vulnerability and uncertainty in those "in between" phases of life—after we take the leap, before we land. It's something I've felt before but never seen expressed so well. Thank you for sharing!
Rachel, thank you for taking the time to reply and share what you did. Yes, those times in our life between leap and landing, as you put it, are indeed vulnerable and uncertain. And as I've discovered, through not doing it very well at times - it's essential to keep your heart open.
I once heard a saying that God breaks your heart as many times as it takes in order for you to keep it open all the time. :)
Again, thank you for taking the time to reply.
Yes I totally agree with the concept of keeping your heart open—though much easier said than done as you mentioned!
If you like content in that vein, this relationship coach does a great job laying it out in my opinion: https://www.instagram.com/james_fish_gill?igsh=bzh1dDF6cnM1MW0=
WOW. James, this is such a lyrically beautiful way of showing how love – and life itself – can be a double-edged sword ... but only if we're willing taking the risks of going from "here" to "there." You illustrate that moving forward in life isn't about pain avoidance; it's ultimately about "... your heart. Give it space. A lot of space." Indeed ...
Larry, yes, a lot of space :)
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply. Some essays take a long time to write - some less time. This was one of those that took less time to write - because I captured it immediately after our time together, but it took a lot of time to beautify - to do our reverent conversation justice.
Again - thank you for subscribing and reading. See you in Write Hearted :)
Such a beautiful piece James. I'm so happy this got published and others can read it now. Your writing continues to evolve in deep and profound ways.
Tommy, Thank you for who you are and your contribution to making the essay as beautiful as it could be. I'm proud of it, and am glad it's out in the world now.
I loved collaborating with you and appreciate you being in the readership. :)
Beautiful and poetic James. Poetic in its ability to put into words something indescribable. I am fueled by the idea of Jessica spreading your open hearted business style and you having been forever touched by her grace.
Zoe, what a beautiful reply. Jessica will indeed spread her open heart to many others. She's so very special and I have indeed been touched by her (as have you) in many ways. :)
Thank you James for sharing this powerful moment with all of us. And thank you Jessica for allowing him to craft this beautiful essay. The wisdom and pain are applicable to so many moment in life. I'm saving this one, so I can find it when I, or someone I love, needs it.
Leslie, it's so good to see you in the comments. Thank you for taking the time to read, reply, and restack. :)
It was indeed a seminal morning together, and I knew right after Jessica asked that question, I needed to capture it and share it with others.
I appreciate you.
I am struck by how much space you’ve left in your storytelling for us to be and feel with you both. I know you didn’t strategically add a description of dust particles floating in the air as a way of accomplishing this, but the flow of inspired communication here naturally produced the memory to convey the depth of field that makes me feel like I’m right there with you, seeing the whole thing, floating in the liminal space of here and there. You shared and showed the meaning of “raw calm” so beautifully James.
Rick, I'm deeply grateful for you. For so many reasons. One of which is the depth of your reading. Not only did you fashion and contribute to the essay with feedback, but you get and got the work on this one for me, which was to take what was a sacred and reverent time with Jessica, and put it into words that allowed readers to be with us in the room. As I expressed to Larry, writing the core of it didn't take as long as rewriting it over and over to express it the way it landed on you.
Indeed, the dust particles in the sun's rays were right there with us.
Last, thank you for the forum, Write Hearted, the friendship, and the collaboration that contributes to me personally and as a writer.