radical self-love

Posted bylissa e.Posted inmain, mindfulness, poetry, radicalcare, radicalselfloveTags:, , , , , , ,
trees with rays of sun light in background

I am here with you.  I am here with you, I say to myself in a gentle lullaby. I will keep you safe.

ada by ijeoma

 

I adore this poem by Ijeoma Umebinyuo. It says so much about radical self-love and its tenderness. “I bathe her, I play her some jazz, I feed her, I weep for her,” she writes about what she does for her lover, herself, on the days when she fears she cannot comprehend her light.

I also appreciate the way she describes that type of love as being in love. It isn’t often that I see self-love framed in that way. Yes to radical-in-love-with-self-love!

***

The first of many radical-in-love-with-self letters to myself:

Dear L,

What are you believing about the world, about yourself? What are you taking in and internalizing that’s isn’t yours? What is keeping you from seeing your worth, your shine?
I vow to nourish and care for you every day. To help you remember your wholeness and value. To love you radically.  The parts that don’t know their worth. The parts that don’t believe in love. The parts in full protective gear to protect themselves from the world and also in part from me.

I vow to love you without end, a love that hums a glow into all the places that have lost their ability to shine. I love you. I am here with you.  I am here with you.  And I’m not going anywhere, I say to myself in a gentle lullaby. I will always be here with you, my love.

—Lissa E.

Thank you for your support!

Donations are greatly appreciated to support Lissa's writings and mission to offer sliding scale and donation-based offerings to create greater accessibility and inclusivity.

$10.00

 

Published by lissa e.

Lissa's offerings include integrative mental health care, meditation and movement (yoga, qigong, intuitive) guidance, writings, and community facilitation offered in a compassionate, trauma-responsive, and racial and social justice-oriented framework as part of a lifelong mission to reduce suffering for all beings.

2 thoughts on “radical self-love”

  1. I’m reading this at 4am. Such perfection of timing.
    In recent weeks and months I’ve struggled with feeling of value, being appreciated, with believing that I have to loudly defend everything I do/feel/believe/hold true.
    I’ve come to realize again and again that much If not all this dis-stress is from not valuing myself.
    This was my thought just as I opened your email. A lush reminder sent through the ether, arriving perfectly. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Beautiful, thanks Lissa. I hope I didn’t get too personal last time I wrote you in response to what seemed a very personal post from you, as this is. Of course your teachings draw in some portion on your life. Hope your retreat is deeply gratifying. Sending love to you is easy, to myself…there’s the rub. Dan

    On Fri, Feb 14, 2020 at 3:59 AM Embodied Heart Mind wrote:

    > lissa posted: “I am here with you. I am here with you, I say to myself in > a gentle lullaby. I will keep you safe. I adore this poem by Ijeoma > Umebinyuo. It says so much about radical self-love and its tenderness. “I > bathe her, I play her some jazz, I feed her, I ” >

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment