My mom used to tell me every time I wanted to give up that it was too early. Because I was naturally good at some things, I thought not being good the first time in others meant I was failing. One day she said to me, ‘You will never learn if you don’t practice. Persistence is the gift.’ -JeKaren Olaoya (CLF)
How has your persistence been a gift to you and others?
Persistence is the will to survive. It is the audacity to bend the arc of the universe towards justice. It is community care, stubbornness, and courage in the face of injustice. Persistence takes many forms in many different circumstances.
What does persistence mean in your life?
“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” ― Georgia O’Keeffe
Take the time to witness something or someone important today.
I recently saw one of my dearest friends in person for the first time in over 3 years. We’ve stayed in close touch, but the years we’ve been physically apart have been ones of huge difficulty and change for both of us, so I felt some nervousness that we wouldn’t feel as much natural ease together as we used to. But in the very first moment of seeing each other, we both burst out laughing — the strangeness of life and intensity of all we’ve been through coming up in the only way it could, through deeply connective laughter. From that moment on, I knew I had nothing to worry about. To be able to hold heartbreak, pain, and loss together, and to still be able to laugh and revel in the absurdity of it all: that’s a depth and quality of friendship that I feel so lucky to have in my life. -Rose Gallogly (CLF)
Reach out to a friend you haven’t been in touch with in a long time.
The pagan holiday of Imbolc is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. As the wheel of the year progresses, we celebrate the emergence of new life.
What new life can you celebrate today?
