I came across this amazing poem via On Being Podcast by Laura Villarreal called ‘My Worries Have a Home’ and fell absolutely in love with it.
“MY WORRIES HAVE WORRIES
“so I built little matchstick houses
with large ceilings, a garden for them to grow
“tomatoes, cilantro, & carrots
their worry babies will eat
“but they chew on the henbit of me anyway
both my past & future entwined into disasters
“I tell them I worry about their health
that they’re not eating properly
“I mother them
the way I do anyone I love
“they ask if I love myself
I tug the sleeves of my sweater
“begin thatching a leaking roof
water their garden
at night
“I can hear them
dancing around a bonfire
“all I’ve built burned
down, a soot snowfall
“tomorrow they’ll wait for me
& I’ll reconstruct their home
anyone would do the same”
I loved it so much that I had a full discussion about it with an acquaintance, about feelings (particularly anxious thoughts, ruminations, bitterness), how we deal with them, and maybe just giving them a little home in the back of your mind - just a little space to be- in the hopes they don't take over.
The thing in mental health is learning to zoom out, away from the feeling and just let it be, observe it, don't push it away or down or obsess, but just sit with it. And this idea of picturing all these little worries floating around a grounded, safe, magical space seems to help lessen the blow of them.
Once drawn out as little ghosts and blobs, they feel a little lighter, less substantial. Let them live and die then feed new growth in the Backcountry of my mind.
Thanks for stopping by - catch you on the flip side✌️
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