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The Word Herder's avatar

The wounded healers. Also human, after all this time! xo When we feel pain, it is natural to react to it, to retract, withdraw. I know that I, too, have communicated feelings that are profoundly personal, intensely felt, and had someone walk into the space opened as a sort of studio, like an art studio with our feelings as the art, hanging there on the walls, for inspection and comment, and are stung when the communication is misinterpreted and rejected somehow... It feels so personal. But they are not feeling the feelings, they are reacting to something they can only apply to themselves, and so may not understand at all... I am not explaining this because I think you don't know it already, no, I am explaining it to myself and hoping it is what you mean, too.

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Elizabeth's avatar

I love how you express this and the image of the open studio. It is so apt, so perfect.

I'm speaking to so many things here at once, so I don't know specifically what piece you are referring to.

But what you wrote speaks so well to so much.

Thank you ❤️

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The Word Herder's avatar

I'm used to accompanying my consolation and/or understanding with hugs and a cuppa tea, and so forth... It's much harder to do that in print! So know then that I am sending hugs, as you have done for me, even quite recently!! (Things are getting VERY interesting! Sigh)

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Elizabeth's avatar

Sorry you are in the thick of it on all fronts. Humans can be so wearying.

Join me for a cacao smoothie!!!

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The Word Herder's avatar

I am learning... I am growing. Wearying, but it's the path, and I'm on it.

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Elizabeth's avatar

I know this well

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The Word Herder's avatar

You do! xo

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The Word Herder's avatar

Yes, please! You gave me a big smile as the accompaniment. ^_^

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Elizabeth's avatar

A big smile!!

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The Word Herder's avatar

And I suppose I'm speaking to all of it... ^_^

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Elizabeth's avatar

❤️ yeah!

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ws's avatar

It's helpful to me that you let readers know the kind of comments you'd like, but I felt that you were way too hard on the person who commented yesterday. I actually wanted to like your comment, I agreed with you in sentiment, but not as a response to someone, who I saw as potentially reaching out to give you something, because you'd given something to them?

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Elizabeth's avatar

Thank you for telling me this. I appreciate it.

I wonder if I'm responding reactively, defensively?

I get into trouble here.

Sharing my writing and then negotiating responses. I felt this in instagram more so.

I felt confused and thrown off my bull dog's comment. It felt more like a taking away than a giving.

But my perspective could be totally clouded.

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ws's avatar

Thank you for your kind response. I really appreciate it. Sharing writing and negotiating responses is hugely hard and interesting & it takes courage. I feel like you have courage in droves. I was not convinced it was my place to comment, and I worried that you may know the person & maybe really deeply, knew that it wasn't a giving. But, not knowing the person, and factoring in that they'd commented (safer and easier to heart) it felt to me like it might possibly have been a giving.

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Elizabeth's avatar

I had initially thought I simply didn't understand and maybe should have left it there.

I don't know this person.

I have through the past couple plus years, had people confused by my conversations on other's feeds and wondered why I didn't post to what was happening. I listened and posted to some pieces regularly. (this was on instagram) I don't regret that, letting myself be pushed.

But now I am immensely weary and need to find balance to simply survive.

I might have mistaken what he said. He is welcome to speak to it, I will listen.

There are others who have the skills to write to the current insanity. But I am not one.

I know I am endlessly repeating myself, I apologize for that.

I think it reflects the endless loop we are in.

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ws's avatar

I don't think that you are endlessly repeating yourself at all. Some saying about someone never stepping into the same river twice (once?!). I understand weary and wary and I appreciate that you write and draw your ways through it.

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Elizabeth's avatar

Thank you for this ❤️

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