I find myself standing upon another threshold Bags packed Affairs ordered The past at my back as I stand poised to step into my future In this liminal space I wish to pause To linger in this brief moment Between heartbeats Between footsteps To reflect on this transition
I have packed the important things Lessons Friendships Memories Love Potential Hope I have purged the obsolete Pain Fear Illusions Expectations Obligations A version of a life I outgrew
I note my era of milestones Marriage Motherhood Misery greater than a person should ever hold
I will miss the map pin piercing the shape of what has been and always will be home Marking the places and people that ripened me into the woman I am Whose stories now inform my mythology
The second hand strains I breathe in one more breath Infuse the ether of a fading life Into the nucleus of my cells As I complete my crossing Into the dawn of my new life
An “I-statement” focuses on your own feelings and experiences. It does not focus on your perspective of what the other person has done or failed to do.
Office of the Boston University Ombuds
I am human
a woman
a daughter
a wife
a mother
a lover
a caregiver
a nurturer
a provider
I am exhausted
hurt
angry
uncomfortable
scared
doing my best
I have a right to say no
to dislike something
to ask for what I want or need
to not be diminished or dismissed
to not be belittled
to rest when I need to
to prioritize myself
to have and respectfully express my own feelings out loud
to no be held accountable for offenses committed by others
I am not harming others when I am being my authentic self
not diminishing others when I speak my truth
not taking from others when I give to myself
not dishonoring others when I honor myself
I am an ally not an enemy
a partner not a villain
a friend not a foe
a person not an emotional punching bag
I do not want to be a vessel for holding pain that is not my own
Words Wishes and Wisdom 