The Things That Never Change

"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.