"As the teller of Lale’s story, it became important for me to identify how memory and history sometimes waltz in step and sometimes strain to part, to present not a lesson in history, of which there are many, but a unique lesson in humanity."
- Heather Morris (The Tattooist of Auschwitz)
My CV suggests I have accomplished a lot.
Browsing my Instagram feed through years also shows that I have had a good life thus far: a diversity of meaningful experiences with people that are important to me.
I also know that I have achieved many of the goals I have set myself and that my CV and Instagram feed is at least a partial representation of the consequence of some of those goals.
At the same time though, I find myself coming back to things that I have not yet achieved or experienced. Goals and ideas that I've harboured for a long time, yet - at the moment and for the foreseeable future - there is no plan in place to pursue or manifest these.
Learning to play an instrument. Publishing a book through traditional channels. Speaking on bigger stages. Helping people. (Becoming more of myself.)
I am often reminded of these things as I watch my own boys grow up; they have a blank canvas for goals, ideas and how they'd like their unique magic to manifest in this world. I am excited for them and feel responsible for giving them a good mix of support and freedom to become themselves.
As I yearn to honour those long-harboured goals and ideas of mine, I also remind myself that I should not impose my untaken journey on the journeys that my boys still need to take.
Even though the path I am on right now might make it challenging to pursue some of these, I could redefine the space I need just enough to make some progress.
Ultimately these goals and ideas have been with me for a while and they show no sign of vanishing any time soon. Patience and a regular reminder that I can always find the space to pursue them, should hopefully help me honour those parts of myself.