A daughter’s voice from the eye of a life-altering storm—clarity, survival, silence, and the burdens no child should carry. #PrideOnThePage Day 9 STORM
Very traumatic dear Jay. So much asked of you and needing to be felt at such a tender age. Extremely powerful-actually needed to pause occasionally and take very deep breaths in listening. Thank you for sharing this life-altering time in your life.
Oh Dawn, I cherish you for listening and read all my posts of this Creative Challenge. Thank you for caring, for reading, listening and empathising with me. I can feel the warmth you are bringing into this space. Thank you.
I've been looking forward to being able to read these posts and catching up with your Pride Page-not there yet, but getting there! It always a pleasure to read your writing, Jay. It is thought-provoking, often raw, always real, filled with feeling and such a beautiful metaphors and truth.
Dawn, I might be a bit late in replying to this one, yet your answer warms me heart nevertheless. What I wonderful compliment to receive, you gifted me with. Thank you.
Sunbeamdream, thank you and no there was no rest at all. My brother was release from hospital the day after I went on my own accord, my mother was release a day before my father died. So I had to take care of my brother in the meantime. Not alone, we had help, friends of my parents to support us, yet still. Thank you for your kind words. Very much appreciated.
I stood outside sobbing — not just for the one we had lost that day, but for all the losses I still carry. ....
I so get this... Will not go into detail here. But bless your heart. That must have been difficult... And then...
To put ourselves on the back burner — or erase ourselves entirely — because something else was always more important. Always needed more care.
I felt your exhaustion, your grief, your pain and regret. So much time taken for everyone else... You had me near tears... Jay you are indeed a unique and special person., You are very talented with words, and I cherish every response you grant. Sometime I read your replies to others too, because your words are truly inspirational.
Di — I take in your words here with care. You do not need to go into detail — what you write speaks clearly enough. These shared places of exhaustion and carrying what was not ours to carry run deep for so many of us. I value that you chose to speak from that space here. Thank you for your kind word and your appreciation of my words. I cherish you. Thank You.
Jay, what a gripping account. I'm very sorry for your losses. I can only imagine the myriad ways that life changed in that one horrible instant. And then to be forced to set aside your own needs and grief and trauma to take care of others. It makes sense that subsequent losses would force those denied feeling to the surface in powerful ways. Clearly a formative event that shaped and contributed to the calm center of power and compassion within you. Thank you for sharing your story.
Jay, this was beautifully crafted and also heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your loss of those you loved as well as for the loss of bodily autonomy and care for yourself as an individual.
Robin, that one came out of the left field today. Thank you for your kind words. It in the end gave me strength. I had survived that day and everything that came afterwards, I knew I could find that strength again time and again. I did. I was not easy and still. I learned a lot through it.
These experiences that show us our inner strength are great in some ways, and in other ways I think they deny us rest and comfort, and we need that too. The phenomenon of kids having to grow up too quickly always hits me hard. We deserved better. You deserved better.
Robin — I hear you. What I know is: I learned what I needed to survive, and I lived with what that asked of me. Rest and comfort were not part of it then. I am still learning what they feel like now. It helps to read words like yours that make space for this truth to be seen simply as what was, and what still unfolds. Thank you for being here.
Not easy to write or to read. Yet a sharp clarity and recognition of the immediate and lasting impact on your daily life and your internal world. I appreciate your perceptiveness, and your willingness to share. We can all find ourselves, and moments in our own lives, in your words. Thank you.
Thank you so much Julie. Yes I was aware that those where not ease words, neither to write, speak, read or listen as Trauma is touched, which cannot be easy at any point. And I'd like to thank you for pointing towards the universal feeling in that. Yes thats what I hoped people would see. In the end, I survived, all of it. The many difference life-altering experiences that make up both poetry and essay.
Your words and photo speak so powerfully, Jay. We all carry wounds and scars—some hidden, some still open—and often we don’t even fully recognize them until we find the courage to share them and let others bear witness. I’m grateful to know more of your story, and of you. I’m truly sorry for your loss.
Susan, thank you. It was a long long time ago and when I reflected today I found that this was my first true “Eye in the storm” moment. I came a bit out of the blue, this realisation and those memories. I have so far never addressed these complex trauma in a poetic form. Glad it spoke to your heart and soul, despite it not being an easy read.
Very traumatic dear Jay. So much asked of you and needing to be felt at such a tender age. Extremely powerful-actually needed to pause occasionally and take very deep breaths in listening. Thank you for sharing this life-altering time in your life.
Oh Dawn, I cherish you for listening and read all my posts of this Creative Challenge. Thank you for caring, for reading, listening and empathising with me. I can feel the warmth you are bringing into this space. Thank you.
I've been looking forward to being able to read these posts and catching up with your Pride Page-not there yet, but getting there! It always a pleasure to read your writing, Jay. It is thought-provoking, often raw, always real, filled with feeling and such a beautiful metaphors and truth.
Dawn, I might be a bit late in replying to this one, yet your answer warms me heart nevertheless. What I wonderful compliment to receive, you gifted me with. Thank you.
What a shock to your body and your heart, and to have not been able to rest for so long after..powerful piece..sending love to you
Sunbeamdream, thank you and no there was no rest at all. My brother was release from hospital the day after I went on my own accord, my mother was release a day before my father died. So I had to take care of my brother in the meantime. Not alone, we had help, friends of my parents to support us, yet still. Thank you for your kind words. Very much appreciated.
I stood outside sobbing — not just for the one we had lost that day, but for all the losses I still carry. ....
I so get this... Will not go into detail here. But bless your heart. That must have been difficult... And then...
To put ourselves on the back burner — or erase ourselves entirely — because something else was always more important. Always needed more care.
I felt your exhaustion, your grief, your pain and regret. So much time taken for everyone else... You had me near tears... Jay you are indeed a unique and special person., You are very talented with words, and I cherish every response you grant. Sometime I read your replies to others too, because your words are truly inspirational.
Sending you hugs, Di
Di — I take in your words here with care. You do not need to go into detail — what you write speaks clearly enough. These shared places of exhaustion and carrying what was not ours to carry run deep for so many of us. I value that you chose to speak from that space here. Thank you for your kind word and your appreciation of my words. I cherish you. Thank You.
Jay, what a gripping account. I'm very sorry for your losses. I can only imagine the myriad ways that life changed in that one horrible instant. And then to be forced to set aside your own needs and grief and trauma to take care of others. It makes sense that subsequent losses would force those denied feeling to the surface in powerful ways. Clearly a formative event that shaped and contributed to the calm center of power and compassion within you. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank You WilM. I live to tell. It was a NDE max 2 feet separating me and death.
Amazing. That changes a person fundamentally. Glad you are here to tell that story. 💚
Inventing the poetics for the unspeakable - for me, is empowering - i love the words between the lines. Devastation. Thank you.
Merci beaucoup Kelly, those words mean truly a lot to me. And yes, it was devastation and it brought strength and learning.
❤️🔥
Jay, this was beautifully crafted and also heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your loss of those you loved as well as for the loss of bodily autonomy and care for yourself as an individual.
Robin, that one came out of the left field today. Thank you for your kind words. It in the end gave me strength. I had survived that day and everything that came afterwards, I knew I could find that strength again time and again. I did. I was not easy and still. I learned a lot through it.
These experiences that show us our inner strength are great in some ways, and in other ways I think they deny us rest and comfort, and we need that too. The phenomenon of kids having to grow up too quickly always hits me hard. We deserved better. You deserved better.
Robin — I hear you. What I know is: I learned what I needed to survive, and I lived with what that asked of me. Rest and comfort were not part of it then. I am still learning what they feel like now. It helps to read words like yours that make space for this truth to be seen simply as what was, and what still unfolds. Thank you for being here.
I didn't listen to the whole thing but the intro is striking and I"ll be sure to come back to it.
Michelle, thank you for dropping in. Hope you might consider reading to the end.
Not easy to write or to read. Yet a sharp clarity and recognition of the immediate and lasting impact on your daily life and your internal world. I appreciate your perceptiveness, and your willingness to share. We can all find ourselves, and moments in our own lives, in your words. Thank you.
Thank you so much Julie. Yes I was aware that those where not ease words, neither to write, speak, read or listen as Trauma is touched, which cannot be easy at any point. And I'd like to thank you for pointing towards the universal feeling in that. Yes thats what I hoped people would see. In the end, I survived, all of it. The many difference life-altering experiences that make up both poetry and essay.
Your words and photo speak so powerfully, Jay. We all carry wounds and scars—some hidden, some still open—and often we don’t even fully recognize them until we find the courage to share them and let others bear witness. I’m grateful to know more of your story, and of you. I’m truly sorry for your loss.
Susan, thank you. It was a long long time ago and when I reflected today I found that this was my first true “Eye in the storm” moment. I came a bit out of the blue, this realisation and those memories. I have so far never addressed these complex trauma in a poetic form. Glad it spoke to your heart and soul, despite it not being an easy read.