To Receive
Sipping French Earl Grey tea on the deck. It has a nice blend of smoke, citrus and floral. Might be my warm weather replacement for Russian Earl Grey. Perhaps we can talk about my tea/tisane problem at a later date. There is a gentle breeze and the sun is covered by clouds but still visible. It’s a day that says…slow down and enjoy. It seems it is 1:00 PM. I’ve been up since a little after 5:00 AM
In a text thread with my dear friend Libby we were, as usual, pondering big questions and within them nuance and specificity. I shared that I desired space and no attention and she asked what was the difference. My response was space = freedom and no attention = anonymity. I realize the ridiculousness of that last part given these writings and the other ways I am showing up in the world.
And yet, what I shared with Libby is not untrue.
Those who I cherish know a sure fire way to get me to shut down or turn away is to be overly complimentary or attentive. For some, it’s a game to see how quickly I will deflect or ignore. It’s funny and yet there is something beneath my reaction that warrants exploration. So for June my practice of devotion is on receiving.
I am already counting the days until the end of the month.
I am curious about what I might learn, notice, feel…etc.
I’ll let you know how it goes once I recover.
Written June 5, 2020
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About The Author:
Jara Dean-Coffey (jdc) is Founder and Director of the Equitable Evaluation Initiative and the Founder of Luminare Group. For the past twenty-five years, she has partnered with clients and colleagues to elevate their collective understanding of the relationship between values, context, strategy and evaluation and shifting our practices so that they are more fully in service of equity. For more about musings + machinations click here.
