Why We Grow (and Give Away) Dahliasaka: The Story of How a Couple of Costco Tubers Took Over Our Lives This is Foxy Lady
We’ve been growing dahlias for about seven years now. It started the way so many good obsessions do — accidentally. A couple of bags of tubers from Costco, tossed into the ground without much ceremony. A few months later: color explosions, frilly petals, and the realization that we were in deep.
The next year we ordered a few fancy ones from Swan Island Dahlias (warning: once you start browsing their catalog, there’s no going back). Then we found our local dahlia society — which turned out to be full of the most generous, slightly obsessed, flower weirdos you could ever hope to meet. In those early days, we had dahlias scattered all around the yard — little patches of color in random corners. Now, most of them live together in the lower yard, in a cluster of raised beds that look a bit like a patchwork quilt. We built the beds out of repurposed wood and stone, and last year finished a garden shed made from recycled windows and salvaged materials. It’s a little crooked and full of character — just like us. 
Garden shed in the background. Sawhorse table for this year, hoping for a flower cart for 2026 season.
Jars of flowers! Out for grabs!
Maybe you're a neighbor and you've walked by and seen this setup. Maybe you have seen a post in one of the Facebook groups. Possibly you are someone who has taken some of our flowers for yourself or a friend. Maybe you had no idea that we give away hundreds of colorful blooms every year, but we sure do! Every summer, the yard bursts into bloom — reds, oranges, yellows, and wild sunset blends. And every summer, we start filling jars. We grow about 200 plants now. And with dahlias, every time you cut a flower, two more bloom in its place! Seriously, the more we cut and give away, the MORE we have. We’ve given away at least 400 jars over the past several years — to neighbors, teachers, fundraisers, strangers, friends. Sometimes we team up with others: a teacher picking up bouquets for the first day of school, a volunteer taking armloads for an animal rescue fundraiser, someone decorating for a wedding or a party. Our blooms have been in at least a few weddings that I know of. Why do we give them away? Because it’s fun. Because it spreads color and joy. Because this world is heavy enough, and color, whimsy, and sharing are ways we keep our hearts open and tender. It's just something that makes our hearts happy - to see, cultivate, and share the color of these flowers! A way to meet our neighbors, share a smile, and remind ourselves that we can all be a part of something beautiful together. Sometimes it feels like a little act of resistance against despair. Maybe we are trying to grow hope alongside the dahlias. 
How We Grow
Our dahlia beds are fed by the same compost pile that eats our kitchen scraps all year long. Banana peels, coffee grounds, garden clippings — it all comes back as black gold that we dig into the soil each spring. We usually fertilize once or twice a season with a liquid, fish-based fertilizer that smells absolutely atrocious but works like magic. (Seriously, if you walk by while we’re doing it — sorry in advance.) Dahlias are thirsty creatures, so we installed simple drip lines to conserve water and make life easier. We’re hoping to set up a rain-capture system soon to make the whole thing even more sustainable. What We’ve Learned (Mostly the Hard Way) Every gardener has a heartbreak story, and ours involves a tragic winter and a whole lot of mushy tubers. Because of our soggy climate (zone 8b, with generous amounts of rain), we dig our tubers every fall. Some folks leave theirs in the ground and have good luck — if there’s no hard freeze, they might come back. But for us, rot is the bigger risk. We’ve tried every storage method known to humankind — boxes, crates, vermiculite, sawdust, prayers — and had one especially grim year where the ones left in the ground rotted and the ones we stored got moldy. We lost almost everything. We were left with maybe ten survivors — our hardy, heroic super tubers. But here’s the beautiful part: our local club members shared extras, we found mystery boxes at sales, and neighbors offered starts. The garden came back fuller than ever. It’s one of my favorite lessons the dahlias have taught us: loss happens, but generosity regenerates. We've now perfected the storage that works for us, just took a little trial and lots of tears. 
This beauty is Southern Belle.
Here's another post I wrote about growing dahlias:
Dahlias & Dirt Piles
Sometimes we hear from people: How can I help? Can I pay you? I want to do something like this! How did you get started?
Some quick answers: We don't sell flowers. But sometimes people leave a few bucks in a jar, or send a little venmo our way. That's used for things like fertilizer, replacing tubers, or purchasing parts for the water system. We will always take help with digging, cleaning, and storing in the fall, and are happy to share our knowledge as we work together. Jar donations are very welcome, year around. Save those empty pickle and jam jars and drop them off when you have a few! We just started by doing something we loved and expanding it to include others. You could do this in whatever way works for you! Grow some dahlias if you want (heck, we'll give you the tubers!) Think about things YOU are passionate about or ways your neighbors or community could use support or love. Check out Little Free Library and Little Free Art Gallery and Little Free Food Pantry. In the past our family has also had a lot of fun painting rocks and leaving them in community spaces to spread joy and whimsy. Here's a great article about painting and hiding rocks in/around Everett (but definitely an activity that can happen no matter where you are!) 
Choose your favorite dahlia and find out what it says about YOU!
What's Your Dahlia Personality?
Q: Why do you grow and give away flowers?
A: Because we like the idea that anybody can do something small and simple to spread more color and joy in the world. Q: Who lives on Dexter and grows these dahlias? Who is “me” and “we” in all this? A: "Me" is Crystal Gurney — primary dahlia farmer, creativity doula, and overall wrangler of color and whimsy. This blog is my digital garden shed....part story archive, part how-to, part love letter to community and creativity. "We" is the household here on Dexter Avenue, where our little urban dahlia farm grows. That includes me, my husband Alex (you may have met us wandering around with armfuls of flowers), a couple of teenagers, and a rotating cast of family and friends who often lend a hand as unofficial dahlia “farmhands.” Q: Do you charge for the flowers? Can I order some from you? A: Nope. We don't sell them. They’re freely given. The whole point is to brighten someone’s day, no strings attached. We don't do orders or guarantees - this is a passion hobby for us, not a business, no stress in dahlias, thank you!
Q: Do you sell tubers?
A: Nope. We don’t sell them, but we often have extras at the end of the season. If we do, we give them away in the spring. Keep an eye out for posts or emails about “tuber share” time. Also, almost all of the local dahlia groups do tuber sales in the Spring and sell their extras as a club fundraiser, usually for great prices. We have some favorite small and local growers: Q: When do you plant dahlia tubers? A: We plant in late spring, aiming to have tubers in the ground by Mother’s Day. Dahlias like warm soil, so putting them out too early doesn’t help much, they’ll just nap underground until it’s cozy enough to grow. Q: When do you dig them up? Do you have to dig? How do you store them over the winter? A: We dig in late October, once the plants have died back from the first frost. You can leave them in the ground if you live in a mild climate and have good drainage, but here in our rainy Pacific Northwest microclimate, they tend to rot. Digging and storing them over winter gives us the best results. We dry them out for a few days, then tuck them into crates with sawdust or peat moss and keep them in a cool, dark, mostly dry spot — around 40–50°F. It’s part science, part witchcraft, part blind faith. Q: How much sun and water do dahlias need? A: They like full sun (at least six hours a day) and lots of water once they start blooming. Ours are on drip irrigation to help conserve water and make life easier. If you’re hand watering, aim for deep, consistent soaking rather than frequent sprinkles. Q: Can I join the local dahlia club? How do I learn more? A: You are welcome to email us: [email protected] Our local dahlia society is full of generous, flower-loving folks who are always excited to welcome new growers. Search for a local dahlia society near you.
Q: What if someone wants to make a donation or help or say “thank you” in a tangible way?
A: That’s very kind! You can:
Loooooove the fuzzy little bee butts when they get sleepy and take a little nap in the dahlias! This bloom is AC Devin
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One of the things I love most about growing dahlias is seeing them return year after year, like friends showing up for their annual visit. I know their names, and have seen the way they’ve evolved over time. Some of these beauties have been hanging around my garden for years, and I'm now tending to their great, great, great, grand-dahlias. There’s a long-standing bond between us. It’s like a family reunion, but with petals instead of people, and everyone’s quieter and better behaved. (side note: I think every mom should have a hobby that involves NO ONE talking)
I’m all about a good dahlia newbie too. The fresh faces are always fun to meet, watching them pop up like “Hey, look what I can do!” and slowly uncovering their personalities as they grow. The new ones can be fun and surprising, almost like meeting a stranger who quickly becomes a friend, revealing a side of themselves you didn’t expect. Don't even get me started on the glorious chaotic surprise of mystery and mislabeled tubers! What gets me every time is how different they all are. Tall ones, short ones. Thick stems, delicate stems. Blooms that look like they’re going to break the jar with their fullness, and others that are a little more....understated. And then there’s the color! (have I mentioned my favorite color is ALL of them??!?) Dahlias come in so many gorgeous colors with blushes, and striations, and variations of all kinds. Did you know there are over 55,000 dahlia varieties? That's a whole lot of floral personalities, each unique and beautiful in its own way. Growing dahlias (or growing anything) feels similar to art for me - I think there is so much contained within that can offer lessons and medicine for living life. Some years, things feel dormant. Sometimes there isn't much happening above ground, but we know that under the surface, there’s a whole world of growth happening in secret. Other times? Boom. Everything bursts out of the soil at once. That’s just one of the lessons, right? Even when we can’t see the progress, something is happening. And we can learn to trust this process. There's something about each dahlia for me that says a little something about that blooms personality. It's interesting to see which ones my friends gravitate toward. It’s uncanny. A friend or neighbor will wander my garden and choose their favorite dahlia, and it’s like their personality just aligns with the flower. There’s this weird, magical thing where I can look at someone, then glance at a dahlia, and think, "Yep. That’s them. That's you." I swear it’s like the dahlias have their own little intuitive matchmaking game going on. So, I thought I'd share this fun dahlia magic with you. Ready to find your dahlia alter ego? If you’ve ever wondered which dahlia just GETS you, here’s your chance. Take a minute to choose your favorite from the photos above. Then scroll down and find out which dahlia flower matches your vibe. Maybe you’re the fierce AC Cougar, strutting through life like it’s your runway. Or perhaps you’re more of a Fuzzy Wuzzy—soft, playful, with a touch of mystery. Have some fun with it, and let me know how your floral personality matches up. Sometimes it seems like these blooms know more about us than we think. What does your favorite dahlia say about you?
Your First Draft is Supposed to Be Crap. |
| P.S. (do we do a P.S. on blog posts??? oh well, it's happening) Back in 2022, I talked with my good friend Meg about perfectionism, and why it is so important to have spaces where we can practice NOT being perfect. You can listen to that podcast episode here. |
Come make mini-journals with me this month!
Open to everyone. Simple materials you probably have around the house.
Connection, creativity, FUN, and surely a few shitty first drafts!
(no perfectionism allowed)
Thurs, Aug 28 ALL THE INFO IS HERE
Connection, creativity, FUN, and surely a few shitty first drafts!
(no perfectionism allowed)
Thurs, Aug 28 ALL THE INFO IS HERE
It can feel challenging to keep moving into the beautiful mess and away from the perfectionism that keeps us frozen in non-action. Need a wee, gentle nudge?
Comment here, dm me on social media, or send an email,
and I'll send you my Recovering Perfectionist pdf -
with journaling prompts, ideas for letting go of perfectionism, and more.
Comment here, dm me on social media, or send an email,
and I'll send you my Recovering Perfectionist pdf -
with journaling prompts, ideas for letting go of perfectionism, and more.
| Connect & Create events are one-time meet ups for the folks in our community! They happen from time to time, usually based on my whims or the needs of our virtual village. We have gathered for a Letting Go Ritual, for Winter BigSuperFun events, and more. In February we are gathering to create together and make simple heart themed art that can be used as Valentines or just for fun. |
Make some fun junk journals with me!
WHEN: Thursday, August 28 @ 6pm (PST) for approx. 2 hours
WHERE: on Zoom
COST: $0-20 (paying is completely optional, $0 is perfectly acceptable)
HOW: Get registered here.
DETAILS: Gather your junk mail, scrapbook papers, and old magazines and let's make a couple of "junk" journals together. I have 2 small, fun journals that I'll show you how to make - they can be made with any kind of papers, even your junk mail! You can create along with me, and then after we make our journals, we'll go back and add fun details and journaling prompts. There will be time to chat and show off our creations too.
Join us for community, creativity, and FUN!!
SUPPLIES: DO NOT WORRY if you have only the very basics. Some paper and a handful of highlighters would totally work! Bring whatcha got and we'll make it work. The main intentions behind these gatherings are having fun and creating in community. Everything we do is planned to be accessible with even the most basic of supplies!
THE BASICS:
SOME OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
You can follow along with the projects I demo or you can do your own thing. Sharing is always optional. Open to all genders. Teens welcome at this event.
Looking forward to seeing you for some scrappy-journaly FUN.
WHERE: on Zoom
COST: $0-20 (paying is completely optional, $0 is perfectly acceptable)
HOW: Get registered here.
DETAILS: Gather your junk mail, scrapbook papers, and old magazines and let's make a couple of "junk" journals together. I have 2 small, fun journals that I'll show you how to make - they can be made with any kind of papers, even your junk mail! You can create along with me, and then after we make our journals, we'll go back and add fun details and journaling prompts. There will be time to chat and show off our creations too.
Join us for community, creativity, and FUN!!
SUPPLIES: DO NOT WORRY if you have only the very basics. Some paper and a handful of highlighters would totally work! Bring whatcha got and we'll make it work. The main intentions behind these gatherings are having fun and creating in community. Everything we do is planned to be accessible with even the most basic of supplies!
THE BASICS:
- variety of papers: colored paper, origami, junk mail, wrapping paper, scrapbooking papers, pages from old books, old artwork, kids old homework, coloring book pages, magazines, etc. (not necessarily ALL of these, just some!)
- scissors or cutting tool
- glue stick or collage medium (gel medium or ModPodge)
- thin cardboard (like cereal or cracker box)
- a few postcards (one of the journals will specifically use a postcard, but we can sub in anything that is about that weight)
- some kind of thread: waxed linen thread for bookbinding, embroidery floss, yarn, ribbon, dental floss (just make sure it's strong, but not too thick)
- something poke-y: bookbinding awl, wee screwdiver, darning needle, metal skewer
- you'll probably want a darning needle, but a determined person could do without
- NOTE: you can also make both of these journals without the sewing/bookbinding supplies. You can substitute tape, glue, or staples - none of the above 3 bullets will be necessary. Just make sure you have a way to fasten papers together.
SOME OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
- something to add color: markers, colored pencils, paint, etc. (not necessarily ALL of these)
- stickers, washi tape
- rubber stamps and ink
You can follow along with the projects I demo or you can do your own thing. Sharing is always optional. Open to all genders. Teens welcome at this event.
Looking forward to seeing you for some scrappy-journaly FUN.
| Connect & Create events are one-time meet ups for the folks in our community! They happen from time to time, usually based on my whims or the needs of our virtual village. We have gathered for a Letting Go Ritual, for Winter BigSuperFun events, and more. In February we are gathering to create together and make simple heart themed art that can be used as Valentines or just for fun. |
Let's make Valentines together!
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb 12 @ 6pm (PST) for approx. 2 hours
WHERE: on Zoom
COST: $0-20 (paying is completely optional, $0 is perfectly acceptable)
HOW: Get registered here.
DETAILS: Join me for a morning of making some simple heart themed creations - these could be Valentines, or just fun HEART ART. I'll demo a few fun, heart'ful ideas for you, and then we'll create together! We'll chat and create together and have a little time to show off our creations before we say goodbye.
Join us for community, creativity, and FUN!!
SUPPLIES: DO NOT WORRY if you have only the very basics. Some paper and a handful of highlighters would totally work! Bring whatcha got and we'll make it work. The main intentions behind these gatherings are having fun and creating in community. Everything we do is planned to be accessible with even the most basic of supplies!
THE BASICS:
SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR THE THINGS I WILL DEMO:
You can follow along with the projects I demo or you can do your own thing! I'm going to have basic ideas to show you for the first bit and then after that, we can work on those or whatever we want! The ideas I bring can be Valentine themed, or can just be heart-themed and will be appropriate for other occasions.
I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed or that they have to have PILES of arty/crafty stuff in order to participate.
Looking forward to seeing you for heartsy-artsy FUN.
WHERE: on Zoom
COST: $0-20 (paying is completely optional, $0 is perfectly acceptable)
HOW: Get registered here.
DETAILS: Join me for a morning of making some simple heart themed creations - these could be Valentines, or just fun HEART ART. I'll demo a few fun, heart'ful ideas for you, and then we'll create together! We'll chat and create together and have a little time to show off our creations before we say goodbye.
Join us for community, creativity, and FUN!!
SUPPLIES: DO NOT WORRY if you have only the very basics. Some paper and a handful of highlighters would totally work! Bring whatcha got and we'll make it work. The main intentions behind these gatherings are having fun and creating in community. Everything we do is planned to be accessible with even the most basic of supplies!
THE BASICS:
- plain white copy or drawing paper
- variety of paper: colored paper, origami, junk mail, wrapping paper, scrapbooking papers, pages from old books, old artwork, any kind of collageable papers (not necessarily ALL of these, just some!)
- scissors or cutting tool
- glue stick and/or collage medium (gel medium or ModPodge)
- card stock or blank cards or blank tags (if you want to make cards/tags)
- something to add color: markers, colored pencils, paint, etc. (not necessarily ALL of these)
SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR THE THINGS I WILL DEMO:
- clear packing tape
- regular office/wrapping paper (clear) tape
- magazines
- cardstock or cardboard scraps (something sturdy enough to trace around)
- stickers, washi tape
- black Sharpie or paint marker
- ribbon or yarn
- collageable or scrapbooking elements (die cuts, quotes, etc)
- stamps and ink
- heart punches (or other shapes)
You can follow along with the projects I demo or you can do your own thing! I'm going to have basic ideas to show you for the first bit and then after that, we can work on those or whatever we want! The ideas I bring can be Valentine themed, or can just be heart-themed and will be appropriate for other occasions.
I don't want anyone to feel overwhelmed or that they have to have PILES of arty/crafty stuff in order to participate.
Looking forward to seeing you for heartsy-artsy FUN.
Shared for Erika and her mom, which is to say, for anyone brave enough to talk about death with strangers.
The Fable in Thermodynamics
by Nikita Gill
from Fierce Fairytales
| The first law of thermodynamics states this: 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed.' Which is that everything around us is recycled energy: you, me, your dog, those we love and those we avoid. Which is to say that the energy that makes us is as ancient as the beginning of time itself. Which is to say that our bones could have been fragmented together from the ashes of the library of Alexandria. Which is to say our sinews and spine were crafted from the end of a hundred-year-old oak tree and our smiles a comet. Which is to say our hearts could be Achilles' spirit when he battled at Troy, bringing his enemies down with it. Which is to say, when we feel like life is overwhelming, wemust remember that we're just sparks of energy borrowing skin. That no matter how much this pain feels everlasting, this is just the temporary fabric we are in. |  |
Have you heard of the Death Cafe concept? A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death with the objective 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'.
If you are local to Everett, WA, join me at the Everett Death Cafe. We meet monthly on the last Monday of each month at Solie Funeral Home. More info here Lightly facilitated (by me) discussion about death + always CAKE!
If you are local to Everett, WA, join me at the Everett Death Cafe. We meet monthly on the last Monday of each month at Solie Funeral Home. More info here Lightly facilitated (by me) discussion about death + always CAKE!
RESCHEDULEDJoin me for a fun, free chat about making art and getting creative with kids!! New Date TBD 90 minutes hosted on Zoom, free to attend recording provided if you are unable to attend live |  Image description: a child's hands are using an orange crayon to color a picture of a butterfly. Image credit: Lucas Alexander via Unsplash |
What are some of the roadblocks to getting creative with kids?
Let's bust through the roadblocks and get creative!! There are so many benefits for children and grown ups in making art! Making art together with the kiddos in our lives can be fun and help us get to know them better and connect more deeply with them. The ideas I will share in this call will be useful for getting creative with kids - whether they are toddlers or teens!
In this 90 minute Zoom workshop, we will:
This Community Chat event is FREE and open to anyone. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, auntie/uncle, or just a RAD human who hangs out with kids sometimes, come and get some ideas about how to get creative with the kiddos in your life!
Please note: while I will be demo'ing some fun art activities, this will not be a child-adult participation session. This is a great workshop for adults to attend to learn and bring back the ideas and activities to your own creative time.
Our Community Chat time will be best served if attendees are able to have their video on during the call.
This Community Chat will be recorded. Everyone who registers will have access to the recording for a limited time after the event.
- it's messy
- it's complicated
- it's expensive
- the fun is one-sided (and I'm not the one having it!)
- we have to be making *something*
- we have to have a lot of supplies
- "I'm not an artist, so how can I make art with my kids?"
Let's bust through the roadblocks and get creative!! There are so many benefits for children and grown ups in making art! Making art together with the kiddos in our lives can be fun and help us get to know them better and connect more deeply with them. The ideas I will share in this call will be useful for getting creative with kids - whether they are toddlers or teens!
In this 90 minute Zoom workshop, we will:
- talk about why making art with kids can be so useful for connecting with them.
- learn more about the benefits of intentional time for creativity - for kids AND for us.
- do some "myth busting" from the list above.
- spend time talking about YOUR roadblocks to creative time.
- have time to hear from each other about how we already get creative with our kiddos.
- learn 4 easy, specific art activities that you can do with your kids TODAY.
- brainstorm other ideas for getting creative, artistic, silly, and playful with the kids in our life.
This Community Chat event is FREE and open to anyone. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, auntie/uncle, or just a RAD human who hangs out with kids sometimes, come and get some ideas about how to get creative with the kiddos in your life!
Please note: while I will be demo'ing some fun art activities, this will not be a child-adult participation session. This is a great workshop for adults to attend to learn and bring back the ideas and activities to your own creative time.
Our Community Chat time will be best served if attendees are able to have their video on during the call.
This Community Chat will be recorded. Everyone who registers will have access to the recording for a limited time after the event.
Let's Celebrate World Poetry Day Together!!
Join me for a virtual open mic event in celebration of World Poetry Day!
Come simply to listen, or choose to read a favorite poem or your own original work.
Come simply to listen, or choose to read a favorite poem or your own original work.
- When: Tuesday, March 21st, 6-8:30pm (PT)
- Where: on Zoom
- Cost: tiered pricing - $20 / $25 / $30, discount offered to those signing up to read. No one will be turned away, so if you can't afford to register, just reach out and I'll get you set up.
You can register as a Listener, as a Poem Reader (any poem), or a Poem Reader (original work). If you have any favorite poems and would like to make a request, there is space for that on the registration.
We will also be creating poetry together! About midway through, we'll pause in our listening to do a fun, creative exercise together that will help YOU write a poem - even if you have no experience writing poetry. There is no requirement to participate or share what you write, just an invitation to play with words!
This poem was shared in Seeds of Connection Wheel Cycle.
| my brain and heart divorced a decade ago over who was to blame about how big of a mess I have become eventually, they couldn't be in the same room with each other now my head and heart share custody of me I stay with my brain during the week and my heart gets me on weekends they never speak to one another - instead, they give me the same note to pass to each other every week and their notes they send to one another always say the same thing: "This is all your fault" on Sundays my heart complains about how my head has let me down in the past and on Wednesday my head lists all of the times my heart has screwed things up for me in the future they blame each other for the state of my life there's been a lot of yelling - and crying so, lately, I've been spending a lot of time with my gut who serves as my unofficial therapist most nights, I sneak out of the window in my ribcage and slide down my spine and collapse on my gut's plush leather chair that's always open for me ~ and I just sit sit sit sit until the sun comes up last evening, my gut asked me if I was having a hard time being caught between my heart and my head I nodded I said I didn't know if I could live with either of them anymore "my heart is always sad about something that happened yesterday while my head is always worried about something that may happen tomorrow," I lamented my gut squeezed my hand "I just can't live with my mistakes of the past or my anxiety about the future," I sighed my gut smiled and said: "in that case, you should go stay with your lungs for a while," I was confused - the look on my face gave it away "if you are exhausted about your heart's obsession with the fixed past and your mind's focus on the uncertain future your lungs are the perfect place for you there is no yesterday in your lungs there is no tomorrow there either there is only now there is only inhale there is only exhale there is only this moment there is only breath and in that breath you can rest while your heart and head work their relationship out." this morning, while my brain was busy reading tea leaves and while my heart was staring at old photographs I packed a little bag and walked to the door of my lungs before I could even knock she opened the door with a smile and as a gust of air embraced me she said "what took you so long?" ~ John Roedel (johnroedel.com) |  Image description: a person's hand holds a leaf out against a backdrop of the forest. There is a heart shape cut out of the middle of the leaf. Image credit: Anthony Intraversato via Unsplash |
These are poems that were shared in the recent Group Peer Support (GPS) facilitator training, hosted by Perinatal Support Washington (PS-WA).
| Notes on Survival by Nikita Gill You are allowed to break. Everything does. The stars grow tired and fall. The waves crash against rocks and shores. Trees fall for both storms and wind leaving behind seeds and saplings so a version of them may grow again. Storm clouds part for rain then part for the sun to come through. Night must break for day and day for night in a cycle. The world is made of broken things piecing themselves back together -- this is what gives us the most resilient stories. So why do you think that you were made any differently than the night and the storm clouds? You know how to put yourself back together again, too, just as well as they do. Take heart that you have managed to rebuild yourself a thousand times after every bad day. That is no small thing. |  Image description: a tree is at the top of a grassy hill with a blue sky behind it. A large branch is broken off and lying on the ground. Photo credit: Tim Mossholder via Unsplash |
 Image description: two people sit with their backs to the camera, looking toward water. Glowing light from the sunset shines between their shoulders. Photo credit: Briana Tozour via Unsplash | WHEN SOMEONE DEEPLY LISTENS TO YOU by John Fox When someone deeply listens to you It is like holding out a dented cup you’ve had since childhood and watching it fill up with cold, fresh water. When it balances on top of the brim, you are understood. When it overflows and touches your skin you are loved. When someone deeply listens to you the room where you stay starts a new life and the place where you wrote your first poem begins to glow in your mind’s eye. It is as if gold had been discovered. When someone deeply listens to you Your bare feet are on the earth and a beloved land that seemed distant is now at home within you. |
| the fire that awakens you by Danielle Doby From I Am Her Tribe I am drawn to the light in others it is how I know I am not alone to be a seeker of the light is to be connected to the very truth itself - the way out of the darkness is when we can look across the table and find our face in another's when we let our stories exist we invite others to see themselves more clearly in a space where pain struggle stunning resilience and belonging are not unique to just one person they live in each of us proving we are not on our own i heal and you heal and when we heal the world heals with us an open heart is the key that unlocks hope's reach the sun is here within you now open your eyes |  Image description: a field of bright yellow sunflowers. The sun is just visible above the tree line in the background. Photo credit: Todd Kent via Unsplash |
Author
It's me, Crystal. I need a place to put all my extra words.
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